Remedy
by MarlyCook
Summary: These past few years, the want to hold or touch you has been so tempting, but too hazardous to actually do it. You scare me. And this is why. Lit. Post-finale.
1. Remedy

_**Disclaimer:** I own a couple of minor characters you'll see, but that's it. Jess, Rory, and the rest of the regulars are definitely not mine._

 _ **A/N:** BLAME ADELE. This new story is completely because her new album is incredible and inspired a short story from me. The timeline will go from 2008-Present. Just hang with me ;) And GOOD NEWS. I am out for an entire month with nothing to do. Writing will be happening. If Adele just keeps crooning in my ear._

 _ **Chapter Rating:** PG-13_

* * *

 _I remember all of the things I thought I wanted to be  
So desperate to find a way out of my world  
And finally breathe  
Right before my eyes I saw my heart, it came to life  
This ain't easy, it's not meant to be  
Every story has its scars_

* * *

 _May 4, 2008 at 11:42 a.m._

 _To:_ _jmariano  
_ _From: rorylgilmore_ _  
_ _Subject: Dodger_

 _Dear Hot-Shot Novelist,_

 _Well, I was going through my phone contacts and realized I don't even have your number anymore. I would have asked Luke, but I wanted to save myself from the interrogation that would be inevitable from my mother. Anyway, so instead I looked up Truncheon House and found your e-mail instead. Obviously._

 _Now that I've explained my odd stalker-ish moment, I can get to my point. I work for an online magazine now, and I have been following the Obama campaign trail. We are heading to Philadelphia on Saturday, and I just wanted to see if you wanted to meet up and maybe have coffee. I want to catch up and hear all about this brand new novel you are working on. Luke slipped up and mentioned it._

 _Anyway, just let me know._

 _Rory_

 _May 4, 2008 at 10:31 p.m._

 _To: rorylgilmore_ _  
_ _From: jmariano  
_ _Subject: Re: Dodger_

 _Rory,_

 _Well, this was a pleasant surprise. I'd like to meet up with you. Just come by Truncheon when you're in town. I know a few places that you'd love._

 _Oh, and just so you don't have to go through the trouble of e-mailing me anymore: 267-555-8430_

 _See you soon._

 _Jess_

* * *

 _February 21, 2009 at 8:12 a.m._

Groggy from the late night and early morning, Rory leaned her head in her palm as she tried to keep her eyes open long enough to wait for the coffee to finish brewing. She stared hard at it, hoping it would magically fill up in seconds. The loud, fast-paced thumps came from the other side of the wall and she knew her mother was up and rushing down the stairs to her morning cup as well.

"Coffee, coffee, coffee," the older Lorelai chanted as she slid into the kitchen with a smile on her face. Her 'Hello Kitty' house slippers skid to a stop as she approached Rory and she turned to look down at the half-filled pot. "This is a disappointment."

"I know," she yawned, placing her hand over her mouth as she closed her eyes in exhaustion. "Why are you so joyful?" Rory grunted, then widened her eyes, accusingly. "You have hidden coffee in your room!"

With a raised eyebrow, Lorelai reached for a mug behind Rory's head and laughed a little. "No… I'm just super excited, because, you know … I get married today!"

"Well, of course," Rory smiled, though she was still trying desperately to not drift off to sleep. "I just figured the excitement came after the caffeine."

"Not today, sister Sue," she said, grinning from ear to ear. "It is wedding day!" She exclaimed loudly, earning a wince from Rory as she quickly slapped her hand to her forehead.

"Please, God," she groaned. "I am trying to nurse a level four hangover."

"Not my problem. You drank way too much of Patty's punch," her mother scolded, pointing a finger at her. "Learn to control your alcohol. You're a Gilmore for God's sake."

When the hot, black liquid finally reached the top, Rory gleefully pulled it off and poured it into her large mug. Lorelai followed suit and after blowing on it for a good 60 seconds, they both took a sip.

"Oh," Lorelai said, swallowing the large gulp she inhaled. "So, I never asked you, you and Jess are cool, right? I mean you saw him a couple of years ago at his open house and everything is good? You know, I'm only asking, because he's Luke's best man."

Rory slowly swallowed her liquid gold and kept the warm mug in her palms. She nodded some, glancing down into her drink as she did. "Yeah, we're fine. I think I forgot to mention that I spent a couple of days in Philadelphia last year and we hung out a good bit."

"Uh huh …" Lorelai trailed off, setting her drink down with a smile. "You have my attention." He grew up, and she knew that, but she still thought of the same Jess who broke her daughter's heart years ago. The same one who wrecked her car, stole items around town, flunked out of high school, and ran away without a word.

"It was nothing like that," Rory explained, waving her hand as if to dismiss her thoughts. "We met up and had lunch the first day I was in. The second day, he took me around town to show me a few cool bookstores and I had dinner with him and his co-workers. It was in no way a romantic reunion. He has a girlfriend!"

"Had," Lorelai stated with a tight smile, nervous that Rory would fall back into that rabbit hole. "If you're talking about Bonnie, they broke up around Christmas. I take it you two didn't keep in touch."

"Oh," Rory said, glancing away in thought. "No, we both got busy. I didn't know that."

"Well," the blue-eyed bride began, taking another sip of her coffee. "You know now." As the awkward silence hung between them, Lorelai glanced at the clock on the microwave behind Rory's head. "Oh no! We need to get to the Inn. Hair and makeup in thirty minutes."

* * *

 _February 21, 2009 at 6:32 p.m._

Bridesmaid dresses were usually hideous, but the champagne gold that Lorelai picked out complimented Rory's features. The silk fabric touched the ground and the subtle v-neck cut of the bodice was a sexy, but elegant touch. She stood at a table, leaning against it as she talked to Lane. Her wavy hair fell past her shoulders and her bangs were pushed to one side.

As she finished off the cocktail in her martini glass, she turned to leave the table to get a refill. She made eye contact with her mother, the new Mrs. Danes, and smiled brightly as she made her way to the open bar that her grandparents were funding for the party.

He was leaning against the counter, waiting on his drink with a fixed smirk on his face as he spotted Rory walking up to him. "That dress should be illegal."

The pink in her cheeks couldn't be controlled at his comment and she shook her head with a bashful smile. "I'm sorry, aren't you here with someone?"

"I have a date, yes, but I can still be honest," Jess replied, turning when the bartender set his drink down. "Besides, she's just a friend."

"Oh?" Rory questioned, nodding at this new information. "I heard about Bonnie. I'm sorry."

"Don't be," he laughed, shaking his head. "It wasn't going anywhere." Once he downed his bourbon and coke, he turned to her and nodded to the dance floor. "Don't I owe you a dance?"

Her features softened at his question and she shrugged some, glancing around the reception as if contemplating. "It's no Stars Hollow High gymnasium, but it'll do."

Without a second thought, Jess took her hand and led her to the dance floor as the next song started. He put his left hand on her waist and held her left hand with his right. "I'm not bad at this, but I'm no Luke," he commented, nodding over to his uncle who was skillfully twirling his wife.

A laugh escaped Rory's lips as she moved close to him, stepping with him to the music. Her eyes scanned the area, never making complete eye contact with Jess. He smelled of bourbon and aftershave, and she found it incredibly intoxicating. She felt her heart rate increase the more she breathed it in and when she turned her head to look at him, she found him staring back at her.

"I hear you're seeing someone," he said, in a low voice, keeping his eyes on her.

Rory nodded to affirm that and cleared her throat so she could speak. "It's not really serious. Just been a couple of dates so far," she replied, looking away again.

"Lucky guy."

She looked up at him and smiled a little more, glancing down at their feet. "You've always been charming, you know."

"Oh, is that what it's called?"

"Arrogant, really."

"There it is," he grinned, listening as the song slowly came to an end. He broke away from her with a polite smile, and walked back with her to the bar. "Well, I should probably get back to Annie. She doesn't really know anyone."

"That's a good idea," Rory replied, "thank you for the dance."

He winked at her in reply, smiling some as he turned to walk away from her. Damn her for still having an effect on him.


	2. Send my Love

_**Disclaimer:** I own a couple of minor characters you'll see, but that's it. Jess, Rory, and the rest of the regulars are definitely not mine._

 _ **A/N:** BLAME ADELE. This new story is completely because her new album is incredible and inspired a short story from me. The timeline will go from 2008-Present. Just hang with me ;) And GOOD NEWS. I am out for an entire month with nothing to do. Writing will be happening. If Adele just keeps crooning in my ear._

 _ **Chapter Rating:** PG_

* * *

 _I'm giving you up_  
 _I've forgiven it all_  
 _You set me free_

 _Send my love to your new lover_  
 _Treat her better_  
 _We gotta let go of all of our ghosts_  
 _We both know we ain't kids no more_

* * *

 _December 2, 2009 at 1:04 p.m._

 _I'm currently reading the summary of Magnet in Gideon's Books on 5th Avenue in San Francisco. You're officially famous._

He heard his phone come to life from across the room, but he was so wrapped up in the manuscript he was reading that he found it hard to pull away from it. However, since when did he get random text messages during the day?

Jess swiftly made it to the counter where his phone had been charging and immediately smiled when he read Rory's name on the bright screen. He opened the text and grinned even more, feeling bashful for no known reason. Without much thought put into it, he keyed in a response: _That's all it took, huh? What do you think of it?_

When Rory's phone vibrated in her hand, she glanced down to read his response before trying to type out a reply as she juggled three books in her arms—his included. After the unsuccessful attempt that ended in her books and phone scattered across the floor in the checkout line, she decided to call him instead.

"You had to call me to tell me? It must really suck," he answered with a laugh, always insecure about his work no matter how much people talked it up.

Her laugh always made his mood a little lighter, and today was no exception. When her voice filled his ear, he felt his stomach twist up into a knot. This was something his mother would have called butterflies, but that he just called nerves.

"Well, I don't know if I'm as enthused as Piper from _The Washington Post_ who called it 'Exhilarating, sexy, and honest' as well as adding that she would like 'a tall glass of Jess Mariano.' Nice blurbs, by the way."

"I had to pick the most flattering ones, of course."

"Of course," Rory bantered, matter-of-factly.

"So…" Jess lead on, leaning back against his desk as he waited for her critique on his newest novel.

"I haven't even read it yet!" Rory responded with a laugh as she placed the three books and a bookmark on the counter for the clerk to ring up. "But, the summary was very exhilarating, sexy, and honest."

He grinned at her word choice and shook his head some, looking down at the stack of manuscripts on his desk. "Promise you'll text me when you finish it?"

"I'll give you my honest opinion," she replied, smiling into his ear. "See you later."

* * *

 _December 3, 2009 at 2:32 a.m._

 _Wow. That was incredible. Don't ever stop writing, Jess. This was what you were made to do._

 _December 3, 2009 at 6:23 a.m._

 _Thank you, Rory. Can I use that as a blurb? (:_

* * *

 _November 19, 2010_

"This is the last time I'm going to be okay with you missing Christmas," Lorelai whined to her daughter as she pulled a box of pop-tarts from the freezer. Something she was craving in her sixth month of pregnancy—frozen pop-tarts. "Ever since you've had this new boyfriend, I've seen you less and less."

"This has nothing to do with Peter, mom," Rory defended from their kitchen table that Lorelai refused to get rid of once she and Luke were married and he was moved in. "This has everything to do with my job. It's taking me everywhere!"

The pregnant brunette turned back to Rory with a small smile as she sat down across from her. "I guess I am kind of proud. My traveling journalist, diving into the deep dark mysteries of the world with nothing but a notepad."

"You should write my resume," Rory quipped with a grin as she drank her coffee, earning a glare from her mother. "What?"

"Luke won't let me have caffeine," she replied with a sigh as she bit into her frozen treat and watched, longingly, as her oldest child took a long sip from her mug. "I tried to tell him that I had caffeine with you and you turned out fantastic. But, you know Luke."

Rory pouted, but that didn't stop her from taking a long swig of her coffee. "Anyway," she said after she took a gulp. "Don't you have big plans for Christmas?"

"Sure. I mean, Liz and TJ are coming over, Luke is going to cook, Jess is bringing his new girlfriend, Jennifer," Lorelai said with a small smile. "It should be a nice big family Christmas… without my offspring," she finished with a scowl.

Rory's ears perked up at mention of Jess' new girlfriend. She hadn't really kept up with him in her new travels, but had definitely heard about her through her mother and Luke. She was honestly surprised he had stayed with her this long. "So she's coming for Christmas? Wow. Very serious."

"I think she forced his hand in inviting her. You know how he is," Lorelai said with a roll of her eyes as she took another bite of her treat.

"I thought you had warmed up to him, mom," Rory said with a sigh as she pushed her hair behind her ears. "I told you he grew up. He changed."

"I know, I know," Lorelai said as she put up her hands in surrender. "And I really do like Jess, it's just a reflex emotion when we talk about him."

"Well, you have to get over that.

"Fine, jeez. You're extremely touchy when it comes to this Jess thing."

"I just know he's a good guy, mom," the younger brunette replied as she got up to put her mug in the kitchen sink. "And Luke loves him. So you have to, too."

"I do," Lorelai replied with a laugh. "Kind of."

* * *

 _January 3, 2011_

"What was she like?" Rory asked as she pulled her jeans on over her slim thighs. She held her phone between her ear and her shoulder as she sat at the end of her king sized bed. "Pretty? Smart?"

"She was funny, very beautiful, and very different than what I pictured with Jess," her mother replied, buttoning up her blouse in front of the tall mirror on her closet door. "She's a marketing agent for some fancy company in Philly."

"Well, good. I guess." The twinge of jealousy Rory felt as her mother spoke was normal, or maybe she just told herself it was. She watched as Peter brushed his teeth in the bathroom ahead of her and smiled some, before trying to change the subject. "Anyway, I should be coming into Stars Hollow around six tomorrow. Is that good?"

"It's perfect!" Lorelai squealed, holding her stomach as she walked down the stairs where Luke was waiting for her. "Listen, hon, I need to go. Luke and I are going to pick out a crib. I'll see you soon."

"See you soon," she said before hanging up. Her mind drifted to Jess and his new girlfriend, that he was obviously serious about. Peter's voice snapped her back to reality and she grinned and pushed herself from the bed to join him.


	3. Love in the Dark

_**Disclaimer:** I own a couple of minor characters you'll see, but that's it. Jess, Rory, and the rest of the regulars are definitely not mine._

 _ **A/N:** BLAME ADELE. This new story is completely because her new album is incredible and inspired a short story from me. The timeline will go from 2008-Present. Just hang with me ;) And GOOD NEWS. I am out for an entire month with nothing to do. Writing will be happening. If Adele just keeps crooning in my ear._

 _MUST READ: Do yourself a favor and listen to Love in the Dark by Adele while reading this chapter._

 _THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS! :)_

 _ **Chapter Rating:** PG-13_

* * *

 _Take your eyes off of me so I can leave  
I'm far too ashamed to do it with you watching me_  
 _This is never ending, we have been here before_  
 _But I can't stay this time 'cause I don't love you anymore_

 _Please stay where you are_  
 _Don't come any closer_  
 _Don't try to change my mind_  
 _I'm being cruel to be kind_

* * *

S _eptember 23, 2011 at 3:04 p.m._

Rory loved where she lived now. It was busy and she was always on a new story, but it was exhilarating and she was obsessed with her work. Washington, D.C. isn't where she planned to end up, but it was nice for her first big reporter job. The Washington Times hired her immediately after one of her articles on feminism in today's society went viral on the Internet. She works in the political department, and while she wasn't planning on making that her career, it turned out she had a knack for it.

She walked down the busy street to a bookstore the frequented at least once a week. As soon as she got to the door, a line was formed all the way down the right side of the building. She smiled instantly and walked inside to see Jess grinning at a fan as he took the book from her hand and scribbled his name inside the front cover.

It was something she wasn't used to, an animated and friendly Jess who carried a conversation with almost every person who walked up to his table. His hair was short, and she found he looked so grown up-and sexy. When he smiled, the crows feet around his eyes made him look older, but it fit his features.

When he glanced up and caught her eyes, he smiled more and waved her to his table. She maneuvered her way through the crowd and finally reached him. Almost breathless from the struggle, she looked behind her at the huge group of people and laughed in excitement for him.

"Holy cow," she said as she looked down at him. "You have fans."

"They're cracked," Jess replied with a laugh, though she could tell he was excited too. "How did you know I'd be here?"

"I come here often, I saw the sign in the window," she replied as she looked around again. "Look at you! This is insane."

He couldn't help but chuckle again as he signed the next book that came his way. He smiled at the person, briefly spoke to them and then looked back to Rory. "I'm glad you're here."

"Me too," she said, her eyes sparkling with wonder. "I'm so proud of you!"

"Thank you," he said with a smile. "This shuts down at around five. You busy or do you want to do dinner?"

"I would love dinner," she replied before stepping out of the way of the next person in line. "I'll text you. We can meet somewhere."

"Perfect," he said with a smile before turning to the next person.

* * *

 _September 23, 2011 at 8:35 p.m._

As Jess stepped outside of the restaurant with Rory, he looked around at the night air and smiled over at her. "My hotel is right over there," he said as he pointed to a building down the street. "If you wanted to read that manuscript."

"Yes!" Rory said with a grin, the alcohol she consumed in the restaurant making her more enthused than usual. "I really want to be the first to see your newest novel."

"I told you, it's nothing special yet, but with the right editor I think it'll be better than Magnet," he said, confidently as they walked down the sidewalk.

"I have no doubt."

The walk was silent, mostly, but not awkward. Rory pointed out buildings and gave him a historical background on most, while also showing him her favorite hangouts. Once they arrived to the hotel, he opened the door for her before heading to the elevator.

"It's a fancy suite," he warned with a playful grin. "But it was reserved by my agent so don't think I'm some male primadonna."

"Oh, there will be mocking," she replied with a laugh as they made their way up the thirteen floors.

Down the hallway, three doors down from the elevators, was his massive suite with a fireplace, two sofas, a king sized bed, and a kitchenette.

Rory raised her eyebrow as she looked around at the place. When her eyes finally fell on Jess, she smirked. "You're such a princess."

"Hey!" Jess called with a laugh, throwing his hands up in surrender. "I told you, this wasn't me."

"Uh huh..." She trailed off as she walked over to the kitchenette and grabbed a wine glass. "Want some?"

"Sure," he said as he sat down on the love seat next to the fire that he turned on with a simple push of a button.

* * *

 _September 23, 2011 at 10:57 p.m._

"So, we've avoided the topic for the majority of the night for no known reason," Jess began with a laugh as he leaned back against the couch cushions. "How's Peter?"

"Ah," Rory said as she pushed back the hair behind her ear. "Well, we're currently not together. We're on a break, or a break-up. I don't really know anymore to be honest. He's moved out, living with a friend of his."

"Oh," he replied, setting down his wine glass. "I'm sorry, I had no idea."

"No, it's fine," she said with a dismissive wave of her hand. "I'm fine. I was a little broken up about it at first, but some things aren't meant to be."

"Yeah, I know that feeling."

"Speaking of," she began before taking a sip of her red wine. "How's your girlfriend?"

"Well," he began with a smile. "She's doing well, but we've kind of hit a rough patch. She's in London right now, trying to secure an international position in the company she works for. We haven't been seeing eye to eye on a few things lately," he said with a shrug before finishing, trying to put it as delicately as possible, "so it's rough."

"Careers seem to be a sore subject in most relationships."

"It's tough when you want different things."

"Do you live together?"

He quickly shook his head, taking a large gulp of his wine. "No way. I'm not on that level of commitment. She keeps a toothbrush and underwear there. That's where it ends."

"Scared of commitment?" Rory teased with a laugh, watching him and his movements when he spoke.

With a shrug, he finished off his wine and stood up to get some more. "Not really. I'm just not ready for that step."

"Are we ever?" Rory asked with a laugh, watching as he walked to the bar that was built into the wall by the door.

"Touché."

* * *

 _September 24, 2011 at 12:17 a.m._

"I'm exhausted," Rory said with a laugh, her face glowing from the fire. "And oh my God, it's midnight."

Jess pushed his sleeve up by extending his arm and glanced down at his watch. "Wow, I guess it is," he smiled some as he sat down his fourth glass of wine. Even so, he still didn't even feel a buzz. "You can always stay here, you know. I can take the couch."

"I don't think Jennifer will appreciate that," Rory said with a polite smile as she stood up and smoothed out her blouse.

Jess stood as well, taking her empty glass from her as he did. "It's really no big deal. The couch is comfortable, and I can take you to your car in the morning."

"Jess," Rory began, almost sternly, even though her features had softened. "It's not a good idea."

Jess watched her for a moment before nodding in agreement. He ran his hand over his mouth and sighed. "At least let me take you to your car."

"I took a cab to the restaurant."

"I can walk you down," he said as he headed for the door, ready to go with her.

"You don't have to do that," she said as she followed him.

Once they got to the door, he turned to face her and shrugged a little. "I want to."

As she looked up at him and locked eyes, she swallowed hard-the action becoming difficult all of the sudden. She couldn't respond, no matter how much she wanted to.

His brown eyes all but melted into her blue ones and while he quickly leaned into her, their kiss was slow and soft. His hand had cupped her jaw when he moved in to press his lips to her and as she deepened the kiss, he moved his other hand to the opposite cheek.

Her right hand immediately moved to the back of his neck to hold him to her. The eagerness of her response to his kiss was intoxicating and he quickly got lost in it. It was familiar, yet so different. He no longer kissed like the angsty teen who used her for an escape from his life, but instead kissed like a grown man who knew what he wanted.

Jess took a step towards her and turned them, pressing her against the wall as his kisses became more urgent with want. Even if the small voice in the back of his mind told him it was a bad idea, he couldn't control himself. His right hand gently grazed her cheek as he moved it through her curls. As his hand rested on the back of her head, tangled in brown locks, he lightly bit her bottom lip before trailing kisses down her neck and just above the color of her button-up blouse.

Rory's head fell back against the wall and a small gasp escaped her lips as he worked wonders on her sensitive skin. She gripped his shirt with a small moan when his left hand ran down her hip and inched towards her warmth. He grinned against her skin and lifted his head to look at her glazed over eyes. His hands left their posts and hurriedly fiddled with the buttons of her shirt, working to undo them.

As if it were on purpose, Jess' phone rang to life across the room. He ignored it as he pushed the sleeves down her arms and placed open-mouthed kisses on her shoulder and down her arms. When the ringing stopped, it wasn't any time before it began again. His mouth stopped, much to both of their dismay, and he pressed his forehead to her shoulder.

"You should get that," Rory whispered, breathlessly.

"I know…" he trailed off, the guilt from what just happened weighing on his shoulders. "It's probably—"

"Jennifer," Rory finished for him with a small smile, understanding, even if she was disappointed. "You should get it."

"It's just that the time difference," he started, pressing a hand to his forehead in frustration. "I'm so sorry."

"No, no," Rory said though she felt the lump forming in her throat. "Don't be. Go catch her call."

Jess looked at her for a moment and placed his hand up to her, as if telling her to wait. "Just… give me two minutes. Don't leave," he said as he turned to go get the phone.

As soon as he picked up and turned back towards the door, she was gone.

* * *

REVIEW. PLEASE.


	4. When We Were Young

_**Disclaimer:** I own a couple of minor characters you'll see, but that's it. Jess, Rory, and the rest of the regulars are definitely not mine._

 _ **A/N:** BLAME ADELE. This new story is completely because her new album is incredible and inspired a short story from me. The timeline will go from 2008-Present. Just hang with me ;) And GOOD NEWS. I am out for an entire month with nothing to do. Writing will be happening. If Adele just keeps crooning in my ear._

 _MUST READ: Do yourself a favor and listen to When We Were Young by Adele while reading this chapter._

 _THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS! :)_

 _ **Chapter Rating:** PG_

* * *

 _Everybody loves the things you do  
From the way you talk  
To the way you move  
Everybody here is watching you  
Cause you feel like home  
You're like a dream come true  
But if by chance you're here alone  
Can I have a moment  
Before I go?  
Cause I've been by myself all night long  
Hoping you're someone I used to know_

* * *

 _September 24, 2011 at 11:33 a.m._

After finally getting a hold of Rory the next morning at 8, Jess had convinced her to meet him for an early lunch before he had to leave the city.

He was there waiting when she walked inside, and she made her way to the booth with a small smile. It was going to be awkward and she knew it. She sat across from him and exhaled deeply. "Hi," she said as she grabbed the menu in front of her.

"Hey," he said with a smile, relieved she showed up and wasn't-or didn't seem to be-angry at him. He wasn't going to jump right into it, but he had to. "Rory, I just want to say that I'm so sorry for last night. I shouldn't have done that or put you in that situation."

"I'm a big girl, Jess. And I was there. You didn't force me into anything. I willingly reciprocated," she began, holding his eye contact with a serious expression. "But, you have a girlfriend and I should have respected that-you should have, too."

"Absolutely," Jess said with a nod. "I was not very fair to Jennifer or you. But, listen—"

"I think we should just blame it on the wine and forget about it," Rory quickly stated before he could finish his sentence. "We're much better at being friends."

"We are?" Jess questioned with a raised eyebrow, trying to hide the disappointment in her declaration. "Since when?"

"Since I came to see you a couple of years ago," Rory said with a sigh, not wanting to defend their friendship. She closed her eyes some and shook her head. "Please, let's just forget this. I feel terrible about it, because Jennifer thinks your just some wonderful boyfriend who is devoted to her."

That stung and it made him feel worse about himself as well. He scratched behind his ear, staring down at one spot on the dinner table. He nodded some and looked up at her again. "You're right," he said, holding her gaze. "We had a lot to drink."

"A whole 2 bottles at least."

After that, their dinner was mostly silent, but this time the silence _was_ uncomfortable.

* * *

 _February 21, 2012 at 1:30 p.m._

The town always makes a big deal out of nothing, and after years of living there it was well known by the Gilmore women. So, when James William Danes had his first birthday and Babette all but forced Lorelai to have a town celebration, it was no surprise to either of them.

Stars Hollow High gymnasium was decorated as a circus—and unbeknownst to Luke and Lorelai, Taylor not only arranged for a petting zoo, but hired acrobats to perform every hour.

"This is insane," Luke commented to his wife as he held James on his hip. The red birthday hat was perched on his little brunette head. "I'm grateful, but it is insane."

"Play nice, Lucas Danes," his wife said with a smile as she looked around in amazement when they arrived. "The love this town has for us unbelievable. I just don't know how we will ever live up to this party."

"Is that my handsome little cousin?" A voice came from behind the duo and they turned to see Jess walk up to them with two presents under his arms.

"Jess!" Luke exclaimed, his scowl quickly turning into a grin at the sight of the first "son" he ever had. "I didn't think you'd make it."

Jess grinned and walked up to them, setting the gifts on a table next to them before tickling James' stomach. "Wouldn't miss it. Mom would never let me live it down. Speaking of, I do believe my little sister is running around here somewhere and I should go find her."

As soon as he went to walk away from his uncle, he spotted Rory coming through the door. He watched her for a moment, remembering the last time he felt like this seeing her. The crazy summer festival Taylor had put on before his senior year. The summer he spent with Shane, even though his mind was on Rory who had kissed him and then disappeared.

No wonder he felt the same. She had a knack for disappearing, but he did, too. Or, he used to. He didn't want to approach her, scared of the reaction he would receive.

It was amazing what Rory could do to a room. The second she stepped in, she was swarmed with hugs, smiles, and excited yells from the ladies who hadn't seen her in months. He couldn't help but smile himself, but turned quickly and walked away when he heard his six-year-old sister calling his name by the petting zoo.

 _February 21, 2012 at 4:23 p.m._

"You've managed to avoid me for the entire party," he heard behind him and he turned to see Rory holding cotton candy in one hand and a stuffed giraffe in the other.

"I'm not meaning to," Jess replied with a grin as he leaned back against the wall near him. His hands made their way to his jean pockets and he kept them there, trying to play it cool in front of her—though he was nervous.

"Promise?" Rory asked as she smiled at him and held out her cotton candy. "Want some?"

Jess held his hand up and shook his head to decline, but smiled anyway. "I promise," he said as he cleared his throat. "So, it's been a while."

"You know," Rory said with a teasing grin as she hugged the giraffe to her chest and repeated him words back to him. "It is what it is … You, me."

He grinned as well and looked back at the acrobat walking across the tight rope above them. "I guess it is."

"How's Jennifer?"

"Gone," Jess said as he turned to her with the same smirk plastered on her face that she had seen many times before. "And that answer scared you."

"No it didn't," Rory lied as she tugged the giraffe closer to her. "It surprised me. I thought she may be the one for you."

"You never even met her."

"Doesn't matter," Rory retorted with a laugh. After a moment, she fell more serious as she glanced down at her feet. "Peter and I are back together."

It isn't like he was shocked, really. She always went back to Logan, so go figure she'd go back to him. "Lucky guy."

Rory stared back at him for a moment, uncomfortable, and took a deep breath. "Well, I guess I should go. You'll be in for Christmas this year?"

"Yes ma'am," Jess said with a smirk. "I guess I'll see you then."

* * *

REVIEW. PLEASE.


	5. Why Do You Love Me

_**Disclaimer:** I own a couple of minor characters you'll see, but that's it. Jess, Rory, and the rest of the regulars are definitely not mine._

 _ **A/N:** BLAME ADELE. This new story is completely because her new album is incredible and inspired a short story from me. The timeline will go from 2008-Present. Just hang with me ;) And GOOD NEWS. I am out for an entire month with nothing to do. Writing will be happening. If Adele just keeps crooning in my ear._

 _THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS! :)_

 _ **Chapter Rating:** PG-13_

* * *

 _Why do you love me?_  
 _There must be something in the water_  
 _Cause baby I'm in deeper than I knew_  
 _How do you keep me coming back for more_  
 _After all we've been through_  
 _I can't decide if I should run and hide_

* * *

 _May 6, 2012 at 5:23 p.m._

"So, what time is your interview in the morning?" Rory asked as she sipped her martini and glanced over at Paris. After a long day of traveling, they finally arrived in Philadelphia and put their bags in their room before making their way down to the hotel bar. Anything to loosen Paris up before one of her biggest interviews.

"Ten," Paris replied shortly, stirring the drink with her straw. "Lazy asses couldn't wake up early enough to have a normal interview time like eight. You know, that's when I'm at my best. That's my A-game time. The caffeine is in me, I'm ready to go, and I'm probably still on cloud nine about dreaming of Harrison Ford the night before."

"Wow, Harrison Ford," Rory said as she took a sip of her drink. "Damn them for picking ten."

"Right?" Paris said with a sigh. "I guess I'll just try to sleep a little later."

"Bad idea."

"You're right. Damn them," Paris repeated as she took a long swig of her cocktail. "Thank you for coming with me. I didn't expect you to say yes when I asked you in the middle of my freak-out."

Shrugging her shoulders with a smile, Rory glanced down at the bar. "You were right... we don't see each other enough, and I needed a vacation. Work is really rough right now, and I'm trying to find a happy medium with my boss." When she realized she was lost in her own thought, she quickly shook it off and smiled at Paris. "But, this is about you!"

"I'm scared I'll get the position."

"Scared you _will_ get it?" Rory asked, her brow furrowed in confusion.

"That means I move to Philadelphia to begin a residency under a really great surgical team, and one of the most well-known surgeons on the east coast," Paris began before frantically finishing off her drink. "What if I learned nothing and make myself look like an idiot?"

"That's impossible," Rory said with a laugh at the ridiculous notion of her not being a good surgeon. She had worked too hard and she was Paris for God's sake.

Paris looked back at her and smiled a little before lifting her empty glass to signal another drink. "You're right. That's impossible."

* * *

 _May 6, 2012 at 8:46 p.m._

 _Guess who is in Philly?_ Rory texted Jess, after her fourth martini. She smiled a little after she sent it, waiting on him to reply. After five minutes without a reply, she quickly regretted her message. What if he didn't want to see her or talk to her after their run-in at the birthday party? What if he's back with Jennifer and she has his phone?

 _Well, well, well … what are you doing on my turf?_

She breathed a sigh of relief when she read the text message and smiled even more. After a moment, she replied, wondering why she was thinking too hard about a simple conversation with Jess. _Here with Paris. She has an interview. Want to catch up tomorrow?_

Several minutes after her text, her phone came to life, buzzing uncontrollably on the bar. She grabbed it and answered without even looking at who was calling. "This is Rory," she said with a smile, leaning back against her chair.

"I know," Jess said, and you could hear his smirk through the phone. "I called _you._ You sound like you've had a few."

"A few drinks? I mean, maybe," Rory said with a laugh, her face automatically flushing at the sound of his voice. "I thought our texting was going quite well, though. Or did you just want to hear my voice?"

"Wow," Jess laughed as he sat down on the couch in his living room. "Drinks give you a little more confidence than usual, doesn't it? I called because I needed to get the lowdown on why you are here. Paris and an interview and you decided to come and be her cheerleader?"

Rory laughed as well and glanced over to Paris who was engaged in a conversation with the man next to her. She slipped out of the chair and stepped outside to hear him a little better. "It's for her residency. She may be moving out here, and I have no choice but to elect you as her guardian and new best friend."

"Oh…" Jess trailed off, trying his best to mask his laugh. "I don't know if I can step into those shoes for you, Gilmore. Anyway, doesn't she have a boyfriend or something that could have come with her?"

"No," Rory answered with a laugh at his previous comment. "She and her fiancé, Doyle, broke up a while back. She's single, and looking, if you're wondering."

"You're cruel," Jess said with a laugh. "Well, I have a thing tomorrow, but tomorrow evening we could get dinner. If that is okay with you?"

After a sigh, Rory glanced down at her shoes while she thought about it. "I can't. I'll have Paris and I can't just leave her."

"Bring her! My friend Matthew is always looking for an excuse to get out of his apartment. We can meet downtown and pick somewhere to go. How's that?"

"Perfect," Rory said with a smile. "So, when are you free?"

"Let's meet at seven."

"See you then."

* * *

 _May 7, 2012 at 8:34 p.m._

"To Paris," Rory said, lifting her glass in the air to toast her friend one more time-or so she said. She had had a little too much, and continuously toasted to Paris and her good interview she had that morning.

Jess laughed, the alcohol he consumed not affecting him one bit. But, he was definitely enjoying watching Rory Gilmore, Stars Hollow princess, get hammered. "To Paris," he said as he lifted his glass to clink against the other three in the air.

"We don't even know if I got the job," Paris said with a modest smile, downing her drink after the toast. "Stop celebrating me. I will let you down and feel worse about myself."

"Impossible," Rory said with a smile as she sipped on her drink. "Remember what I told you? You're Paris Gellar. You kicked ass and they're going to be begging you to work there."

"I can't ever remember you saying ass before," Jess commented with a grin as he took another sip of his drink. "It's interesting."

After swallowing the last drop of her rum and coke, Rory rolled her eyes and laughed at that comment. "Ha! Oh please, I know I cursed around you at least once in my life."

"Hmm…" Jess pondered, looking down at his empty glass. "I don't remember. But, it sounds new, so I'm fascinated." He smiled over at her and their eyes locked for the briefest of moments. She felt her stomach flip and heat rise to her cheeks at the glance.

As if to break the moment on purpose, Matthew chimed in to the conversation, directing his attention to Paris. "So, is this place your top pick? Do you want to live in Philadelphia?"

"It's not a bad scene," Paris replied, leaning back in her chair with a shrug. "It's not why the hospital is my first choice, but it is a good city to live in. If you get past the smog."

Matthew laughed some at that and shrugged his shoulders at her comment. "It's very inspirational for the artists who put their work in our publishing house. Or so I'm told."

"Anything inspires artists," Paris said with a roll of her eyes. She was obviously not one for people living their lives as freelance artists. She could feel Matthew staring at her as she glanced down at her drink. She wasn't used to that sort of attention.

Rory noticed the vibe and smiled some, pushing her chair out as she stood up. "I'm going to order onion rings at the bar. And another drink. Jess, can I have your help?"

"Uh," Jess began and then looked at Matthew and Paris. He smiled some and nodded as he stood up as well. "Sure."

Once at the bar, Rory looked over at the table with a grin before looking to Jess. "I think this is Paris flirting. I think she's desperately trying to flirt."

"Obviously Matt is buying what she's selling," Jess replied with a chuckle as he waved at the bartender to get his attention. Once he ordered, he turned back to Rory with a smirk. "Are you playing matchmaker by bringing me over here?"

"Me? No!" Rory said with a smirk as she grabbed a couple of napkins from the dispenser beside her. "I just thought they needed a moment."

"Alone," he pointed out, raising an eyebrow in her direction. "I'm impressed. Drinker, avid swearer, matchmaker … what else will I learn about you tonight?"

Rory rolled her eyes at his descriptions and shook her head, looking back at the bartender as he fixed her drink. "I'm full of surprises, Mariano."

"Of that I have no doubt," Jess said with a smile.

* * *

 _May 8, 2012 at 8:52 a.m._

"My head," Rory groaned, pressing her palm to it as she got in the taxi next to Paris. "Way too many drinks last night. And where the hell did you go? When did you get back to the hotel?"

"Matthew took me to his apartment to show me this really interesting painting of a person on the operating table," Paris said as she pushed the sunglasses up the bridge of her nose. "And we just talked."

Rory smiled some at that, though she really felt terrible. "Well, then. I say it was a successful trip, yes?"

With a smile, Paris turned her head to look out the window. "Yes."

When Rory's phone buzzed in her hand, she looked down at laughed a little at the text on the screen. _I didn't get as lucky as Matthew did, but it was still really good to see you. Take care._

* * *

Review, please! It's my motivation to post. The more reviews, the faster I write. I love this story and love where it ends. So I can get there faster if I read those reviews!


	6. Can't Let Go

_**Disclaimer:** I own a couple of minor characters you'll see, but that's it. Jess, Rory, and the rest of the regulars are definitely not mine._

 _ **A/N:** BLAME ADELE. This new story is completely because her new album is incredible and inspired a short story from me. The timeline will go from 2008-Present. Just hang with me ;) And GOOD NEWS. I am out for an entire month with nothing to do. Writing will be happening. If Adele just keeps crooning in my ear._

 ** _ALSO_** _I just really felt like a Dean and Jess scene was necessary. Don't ask me why._

 _Oh, you should listen to Can't Let Go while reading. All by Adele._

 _THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS! :)_

 _ **Chapter Rating:** PG-13_

* * *

 _When did it go wrong, I will never know  
_ _I have loved you all my life  
_ _How did it slow down, I go round and round  
_ _Thinking about it all the time_

 _I gave you heaven on a platter baby  
_ _I gave you everything you never gave me  
_ _I never lied and I never faked it  
_ _Only wanted for you to save me  
_ _This love, it ain't over yet  
_ _There's too much that I haven't said_

* * *

 _December 22, 2012 at 9:02 p.m._

Jess had just arrived in town and set his bags in the guest room of his mom's house before sneaking out to grab a drink down at Chimney Sweep. They were all asleep anyway, and he had had a rough day getting to town. He had first decided to fly in, wanting to save time, but missed his flight due to a meeting that ran over. Then, on his way home, he had a blow out and waited for a tow truck in the middle of nowhere.

A drink was needed.

Once he got there and sat down at the bar with a cold beer in his hand, he took out a manuscript from his bag and began reading it. It was something he really needed to get done before Christmas with his family a few days later.

"Jess?"

He heard from a male voice beside him and turned in his stool to see Dean Forrester a couple of seats down from him. An amused smirk graced his features and he laughed a little, unsure of how this was going to go.

"Dean," he said, nodding to him. He didn't know where to go from there, not knowing where they stood with one another. "Uh," he began with another faint chuckle. "How are you?"

It was like he wasn't expecting that, because he raised his eyebrow and took a swig of his beer as well. "Well, good, I guess," he said with a laugh. "What are you doing in town?"

Their interaction was odd, something neither of them were used to. It seemed like from day one they were at each other's throats and now it was cordial? In Jess' mind, it had been at least nine years since they last even saw one another. There shouldn't be bad blood. "I'm in for Christmas with the family. My mom, her husband, Luke, Lorelai …" he trailed off, unsure of where to go from there.

"Ah," Dean said with a laugh as he finished the last of his beer. "An excuse to see Rory, then?" he asked, knowing from things Rory had said that Jess hadn't always been the biggest family guy—especially his mom.

Jess smiled some at that and shook his head at the question. "No," he said looking down at his bottle. "That ship has really sailed. We are friends, though. I see her or talk to her occasionally." He couldn't help, but wonder if Dean was still hung up on her. He did mention her after all. "What about you? You still live around here?"

"Yeah," the taller male replied, smiling a little as he did. "I own a store in town. I make furniture and sell it. I work with wood mainly, and they're all one of a kind items. I never saw myself doing this, but I really do love it. The business side is a pain in the ass, but actually building the furniture is pretty fun."

"I'll have to come check it out. I'm always looking for a good coffee table for my apartment. I haven't found the right one," Jess replied. Actually talking to Dean wasn't so bad, and it felt good to not have any real enemies anymore.

Dean nodded some at that and couldn't help but smile at the situation. He never expected to have a civil conversation with Jess Mariano. "I've seen your book lying around my house. My wife is an English teacher at Stars Hollow High and your book is on her students' reading list. She loves it. Imagine that."

"Don't worry," Jess said with a smirk. "I won't steal her away." He laughed as well as Dean, but he knew that Rory meant more to both of them than just a girl they fought over in high school. "So you're married, huh? Any kids?"

"Yeah," Dean smiled, pulling out his phone to show a picture like the suburban dad he turned into. "My wife's name is Ally and this is my son, Josh and my daughter, Libby."

Jess wasn't the type to ooh and aah over baby pictures, but they were cute kids. He smirked some at that, and felt almost jealous of Dean's family. "How old?"

"Josh is five and Libby is two," Dean said as he tucked the phone back into his pocket. "And we are expecting another one come May."

An overwhelmed whistle escaped Jess' lips as he leaned back in his seat. "Woah, full house," he commented before pressing his lips back to the rim of the bottle.

"Tell me about it," Dean laughed, signaling the bartender for another drink.

"So, why are you here and not home getting ready for the holidays with your family?" Jess pried, but immediately regretted it, feeling intrusive.

Waving a hand as if to dismiss the regretful look on Jess' face, Dean wiped his mouth with his sleeve before speaking. "Ally and the kids are in Chicago with my family. I'm heading out in the morning, but had to finish a few Christmas orders before I headed out."

"Ah," Jess said with a nod as he took another sip. "Well, you can have a few drinks with me, then."

"Sure," Dean laughed as he took another swig of his cold Dos Equis. "This is weird, isn't?"

"It's definitely different, but we have no reason to hate each other anymore. You have a family and I happen to love my bachelor life," Jess said with a smirk. "But, I won't lie, being around Rory for every single holiday is pretty draining."

"I can honestly say that I am completely happy with my wife, unlike I was with Lindsey," Dean began with a shrug. "But, I could only imagine how that would be."

Another chuckle escaped Jess' lips as he took a swig from his bottle. What a weird beginning to his Christmas.

* * *

 _December 23, 2012 at 10:23 p.m._

Jess walked into the dark diner after searching for the key above the door that Luke kept for emergencies. When he walked in, he jumped at the sight of Rory sitting at a table with a piece of pie in front of her.

"Jesus!" He shouted, startled, but quickly regained his composure and laughed some at the sight. "What the hell are you doing eating in the dark?" He asked, flipping on the light behind the curtain of the window.

"Ah… after all these years," Rory began, swallowing a piece of her pie. "I finally know where the light switch to the dining area is."

"What are you doing here?" Jess asked with a smile, sitting across from her after grabbing a fork from behind the counter. He reached over and took a piece of her pie without thinking or asking.

Rory watched with a raised eyebrow and pointed her fork at him. "It's like you forgot the rules of Gilmore. Never take from our plates unless you want to get stabbed in the hand by a dull fork."

Not at all phased by her threat, Jess smirked and put the bite in his mouth. "You didn't answer my question," he stated after he swallowed.

"Oh right," she began with a smile. "I was hungry and there is never anything sweet in the fridge at home. Luke doesn't eat junk, and mom never stocks up. What are you doing here? I thought you were staying with your mom."

Jess shrugged some and reached for another bite, earning yet another glare from Rory. "I like TJ and all, but sometimes I just like peace and quiet and he's so talkative after he's had a few."

"When is he not talkative?"

"You're right, but at this hour, I don't feel like chatting over useless facts that he takes pride in knowing."

"Understandable," Rory retorted as she cleaned the whipped cream off her fork with her mouth.

"I notice Peter isn't here," Jess stated, but they both knew it was more of a question than a statement.

"He'll be here Christmas Eve night," she replied with a smile. "You can meet him."

"Oh boy," Jess replied, sarcastically, though he really didn't mean to. "Speaking of awkward situations," he began, earning a laugh from Rory as she took her last bite of pie. "I ran into Dean last night. We had a nice chat."

"And it didn't end in violence? Color me shocked."

A snort escaped Jess' mouth and he shook his head at her commentary. "It was civil. We have no reason to be enemies anymore. We've both moved past our Rory phase."

"Oh I'm a phase now?"

"Don't worry," he replied, grinning. "You're a good phase."

She held his eye contact for a little too long before looking down at her empty plate. "I should take this to the sink," she said, quietly, wanting to avoid any sort of moment she could potentially have with Jess.

"Let me help," Jess replied as he grabbed her empty glass and the two forks and headed back to the kitchen area with her. Once he flipped on the light, he walked over to the sink and turned on the water, taking her plate from her so he could rinse it off.

Rory smiled a little, remembering the times they used to eat the leftover desserts in the diner when they were teens. He'd wash their dishes when they were done and it would end with her perched up on the sink as he skillfully moved his lips against hers while his hands roamed uncharted territory. Those were the nights she would think she was ready.

"When I talked to Dean," Jess began, leisurely rinsing the soap off of the plate in his hands. "I mentioned how our ship had sailed." He placed the plate on the dry towel next to the sink and turned his head to look at her. "Do you believe it has?"

She didn't respond at first, her heart rate increasing at the closeness of their bodies and familiarity of the situation. "Yes," she said, quietly, but her face gave away her emotions and she looked more confused than sure. "Don't you think we've had our closure?"

"I think we have so much more potential now that we've grown up," Jess stated, honestly, not backing down. He was confident in his answer. He could act like there was nothing between them, but the connection was undeniable. "I would be all in."

Rory stared up at him, the seriousness on his face was terrifying, but what he was saying was so comforting. She didn't want to respond, because she didn't really know what to say. Instead, she leaned up to him in one swift motion and pressed her lips against his. It felt so much like their kiss at Sookie's wedding—forbidden and exciting.

He wasn't going to make the first move this time, but when she did, he didn't hesitate to return the kiss. His hand moved to the small of her back and he pressed her to him, firmly, as he took her lips captive with his own.

She pulled away first, her eyes heavy from lust as she shook her head. "No, we can't. I can't … I'm sorry," she said as she turned to leave the kitchen.

Jess' hand reached for her wrist and he pulled her back to face him, staring into her eyes intensely. "No. You're not running away this time. You're not allowed. Talk to me, what are you afraid of? Because, I'll tell you Rory, these past few years, the want to hold or touch you has been so tempting, but too hazardous to actually do it. You scare me. And this is why. You feel something, you get scared, and you run away. I've done it and it ruined the best thing that ever happened to me. You can't do that. You can't be me."

She wouldn't meet his eyes when he spoke, afraid that she'd just kiss him again. "Stop, Jess … please, just stop. We can't be together. You know it and I know it. We don't mesh. We hurt each other time and time again. Our relationship, while very much passionate and thrilling, is so toxic. There's too much here, there's too much baggage. It won't be easy. We both deserve easy."

"I don't want easy!" Jess replied, raising his voice a little. "I've felt so ridiculous being hung up on you all of these years, but when I'm with you, I feel okay about it. Because I know, deep down, that you have the same feelings for me. Say you don't."

Rory shook her head and gently pulled her arm away from him. "I can't do this, Jess," she stated, more firmly, and turned to leave. He wasn't going to stop her this time, it seemed final. He laid it all out, like he had done before, and once again he didn't win.

* * *

 _December 25, 2012 at 2:25 p.m._

As he sat in the living room at Luke and Lorelai's place, he watched Peter and Rory interact from across the room. It was only a short glance, he definitely wasn't staring, but it made him feel suffocated. He wanted to get out of there as soon as possible.

The morning had gone well, and lunch was civil. Peter was actually pretty likable, which made Jess ate him more. He was even jealous when he and Luke began their baseball chat. What a traitor.

A couple of times through dinner, he would meet Rory's eyes, but he would be the first to look away. He wasn't getting sucked in again. He couldn't. Stories were passed around the living room after dinner, and it honestly felt like a real family to Jess, which was new to him.

A few of hours after lunch, they all sat in the living room and opened gifts. It wasn't much. Jess ended up with a couple of books he had wanted to read from his mom and Luke mentioned giving him his gift later. Which was odd.

Peter's voice caught his attention as he loudly announced he had something to say. Jess' stomach immediately dropped. He knew what was coming next.

"I felt like this would be the perfect time and place to give Rory her gift. Not only is Christmas her favorite holiday," he began, "you are her favorite people. And I am so happy to have been welcomed into the family. I can only hope that I'll make that permanent." He pulled the box out of his jacket and Jess suddenly began to sweat. If he left now, it would be painfully obvious. He felt his mom's eyes on him as well as Luke's, so he tried to keep a stoic expression.

Rory couldn't help, but feel déjà vu as Peter spoke. Logan's proposal was much like this, but with a bigger crowd—which she hated at the time. She felt her heart speed up as the box became visible and when he opened to present her ring, she widened her eyes in shock. "Peter," she said softly, before he could continue.

"Rory, I am in love with you. I have been since we met, and I know that I will until we die," he said, and Jess literally felt like he was going to puke. "I want to be your husband, and I want to spend my life with you. Will you please marry me?"

Her head was spinning and she couldn't stop her eyes from looking around the room. When they fell on Jess, she swallowed hard, knowing she was about to break his heart—and her own because of it. She loved Peter. Peter was easy, and he was someone she could easily settle down with without the turmoil. After a moment of hesitation, she smiled and nodded her head. "Of course. Of course I will," she said, leaning forward as he placed the ring on her finger.

Jess took the opportunity to leave the room when Lorelai and Liz jumped up in excitement and hurried over to hug Rory and Peter. He didn't stop once he hit the foyer, and ended up leaving the house without even thinking.

* * *

 _December 25, 2012 at 7:32 p.m._

He heard the boards of the bridge creak and he looked up to see Rory walking toward him. Her hands were shoved in her jacket pockets and she exhaled as she approached him. "I knew you'd be here," she said, quietly.

"Yep," Jess replied, looking out at the water. This time, he honestly had nothing to say to her. She just accepted that proposal in front of him, without a second thought.

"You left so quickly," she began.

He snapped his head towards her with a look of disdain on his face. "Can you blame me, Rory?" He asked, standing up and brushing off his pants. "Look, I don't know why you came out here, but I really have nothing else to say. Congratulations, and I look forward to a wedding invite. I'm sure it'll be the party of the century."

"Jess, please don't be like this," Rory began, feeling a lump in her throat at how he was acting.

"Bye, Rory," Jess said, turning to leave before it could go any further.

Two updates in one night! Excuse the grammatical errors if you find any. I write fast because I have so many ideas! Review, please! I love it!


	7. All I Ask

_**Disclaimer:** I own a couple of minor characters you'll see, but that's it. Jess, Rory, and the rest of the regulars are definitely not mine._

 _ **A/N:** BLAME ADELE. This new story is completely because her new album is incredible and inspired a short story from me. The timeline will go from 2008-Present. Just hang with me ;) And GOOD NEWS. I am out for an entire month with nothing to do. Writing will be happening. If Adele just keeps crooning in my ear._

Seriously. Listen to All I Ask.

 _THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS! :)_

 _ **Chapter Rating:** M_

* * *

 _I will leave my heart at the door  
_ _I won't say a word  
_ _They've all been said before, you know  
_ _So why don't we just play pretend  
_ _Like we're not scared of what is coming next  
_ _Or scared of having nothing left_

 _Look, don't get me wrong  
_ _I know there is no tomorrow  
_ _All I ask is_

 _If this is my last night with you  
_ _Hold me like I'm more than just a friend  
_ _Give me a memory I can use  
_ _Take me by the hand while we do what lovers do  
_ _It matters how this ends  
_ _Cause what if I never love again?_

* * *

 _June 12, 2013 at 7:45 p.m._

 _Hey Jess, just wanted to see if you were going to be in Stars Hollow any time this month. I'm in for a project in New Haven and thought we could catch up._

Rory set her phone back in her purse and glanced over at Peter with a smile as they drove into Connecticut. He knew about her past with Jess, but nothing about any recent events between the two. However, he understood they had a friendship.

"So, you know I'm going to be super busy this week working on new promotion for the company," Peter began, glancing down at his phone as he drove. "They're already e-mailing me like crazy."

"Yeah," Rory said with a small, understanding smile. "I know. But, I figured you could at least spend a few days relaxing with me. We could use a vacation."

"A vacation in Stars Hollow?" Peter laughed at that and shook his head. "Let's save our vacation days for something a little more appropriate. We can go up to Maine and sail in my family's boat. That's a vacation."

She knew he didn't really care for her town, and that frustrated her. She never had that problem before. Of course Jess hated it when he lived there, but he admitted to her once that it was actually more of a home than he ever had. And Logan was always a trooper when she brought him in.

"I'll have you know that Stars Hollow is quite the tourist attraction," Rory said, and though she was serious, she had a playful tone to her voice.

Peter couldn't help but laugh at that as well. As he pulled into the small town, he shook his head at her words. "Because old fashion soda shops and unicorn stores are very popular among our generation."

"I never said how old the tourists were," Rory said, defensively, even though she ended her statement with a smile.

It didn't go unnoticed that she never got a response from Jess.

* * *

 _August 24, 2013 at 4:50 p.m._

"You're going to what?" Jess asked, choking on his drink as he sat across from Matthew and Chris in their favorite pizza place.

Matthew looked up at Jess and sighed some, knowing how cynical his best friend was—especially about this stuff. "I said I'm proposing," he stated. "And I knew I shouldn't have told you. Why can't you be happy for me like Chris?"

"Woah," Jess replied, holding his hands up in surrender. "I never said I wasn't happy. I am just surprised, that's all. I mean you haven't really been together that long, have you?"

"Yes, Jess," Matthew deadpanned with a scowl. "It's been almost a year. You should keep up with me more often."

Jess winced at that information, knowing he should be a little more self-absorbed when it came to his friends. "Ah, I'm sorry. You know I've just been invested in my own thing. I am happy for you, Matthew, I swear."

"Thank you," he said, a smile forming on his face. "Because I wanted you to be my Best Man."

"Hey!" Chris called out, looking at him with a hurt expression. "I've known you way longer."

"Don't be a baby," Jess replied with a smirk before looking back at Matthew. "I would be honored to be your Best Man."

"Even if it means walking Rory down the aisle?"

Jess groaned at that question and glared at him, leaning back against the booth. "I've done it before, I can do it again." He was beginning to think that was the only reason he was given the position. "But, we have to see if Paris even says yes."

"Don't even say that," Matthew glared, but ended up laughing as he took another slice of pizza from the table.

* * *

 _April 3, 2014 at 4:30 p.m._

"I don't think I can do this," Paris stated, staring at herself in the mirror, her beautiful ivory gown clinging to her petite frame. "Can I do this?" She asked, turning to Rory who was smiling at her as she handed her the bouquet.

"You can do this," Rory said, looking her over. "You look beautiful, and you love Matthew. You can do this."

Louise sat on the lounge couch in the bridal suite of the hotel where the wedding was taking place. "Don't back out now, Paris," she said with a small smile. "I'm looking forward to meeting the groomsmen."

"They're all single," Paris replied, absentmindedly as she fiddled with her veil and tried to smooth it down. She was nervous and trying to stall before she had to walk down that aisle.

Rory tensed up at that, not wanting Louise to set her sights on Jess. She shouldn't feel that way, but it would be awkward and Jess was part of her life. She didn't want the two mixing. "I think Jess is seeing someone, though."

The bride turned to look at Rory with a raised eyebrow and nodded some before turning back to the mirror. "Yeah, he is," she lied as she shook her head. "But Chris is single."

"I miss chasing groomsmen," Madeline said with a frown and she stared down at the rock on her hand. "Marriage and children change everything."

The wedding coordinator popped her head into the room with a smile, her headset perched on her head perfectly. "Five minutes! How's our bride?"

"Oh my God, I can't breathe," Paris said, frantically, going for the window. She pushed it open and stuck her head out to breathe. "I can't do this. I'm not going to be good at it. Can you see me as a wife? As Madeline? I'll die. I can't have kids."

"Calm down," Rory said, rushing to her side and pulling her back. She faced her and placed her hands on her shoulders with a smile. "You love him. He loves you. And he's not asking you to pop out babies any time soon. He wants to marry you. You already live together, this is just one step in your relationship. You can do it."

Paris nodded, though her palms were damp and warm in nervousness. "I can do it. It's just changing my last name, right? Well, hyphenating it at least. I can do this."

"Exactly!" Rory said with a smile. "See? It's easy. Now come on. Let's go get you married!"

* * *

 _April 3, 2014 at 8:17 p.m._

"Well that was almost a disaster," Rory stated to Louise and Madeline as she took a sip of her champagne.

"You got her down the aisle, though!" Madeline said with a grin as she watched Paris and Matthew dance on the floor. "I've seriously never seen Paris this girly before."

"She tries to act all tough," Rory said with a grin as she watched the pair as well. "But, she's just as soft as the rest of us when it comes to the male species."

"Speaking of," Louise said with a grin, staring over at the groomsmen who were gathered around the bar. "I should go dig my claws in before some other lucky lady does."

Rory downed the rest of her champagne with a smile and stepped away from the table. She walked towards Jess before Louise could have the opportunity to and smiled at him. Her soft grey dress complimented her eyes and Jess found it hard to not occasionally glance in her direction throughout the night.

"Dance with me," Rory stated, standing in front of him. "Please."

It was around a group of people, so Jess had no choice but to accept. He set down his drink and took her hand before following her to the dance floor. His face stayed expressionless and Rory hated that he wouldn't so much as crack a smile.

"Thank you," she said as they began swaying to the music. She tried to make eye contact with him, but he was looking anywhere else but at her.

"You kind of left me no choice," Jess responded, glancing down at her. "What's your angle here, Rory? Using me because Peter isn't here with you? And where is Prince Charming?"

"He's working," Rory snapped, angry at his tone. "You've been ignoring every text or e-mail that I've sent you. This is the only way I could get you to talk to me."

Jess sighed, making eye contact with her, finally. "I've been busy," he stated, looking down at her intensely. "I'm sorry. But, don't you think it's best if we just go back to just seeing each other when we are in town together? This whole texting and calling then should end. You're getting married."

"So we can't be friends?"

He gently let go of her hands and stepped back from her with a sigh. "I don't want to be friends with you," he said, shrugging his shoulders. "Have a good night, Rory."

As the night went on, Rory felt her stomach churn as she watched him with Louise. He was flirting, buying her drinks, and laughing at her jokes that everyone knew were not that great.

* * *

 _April 3, 2014 at 11:20 p.m._

He heard a knock on his hotel room door and sighed some, hoping it wasn't Chris again. He had slipped off his coat, tie, shirt, and shoes. His slacks still hung from his hips, but he was about to slip them off as well. He walked over to the door and swung it open only to find Rory staring up at him.

"Hey," he said, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Rory replied with a shrug, glancing down at her bare feet. She had slipped off her heels in her room before walking down to his room. She didn't know why she was there, but she just wanted to be around him again.

Jess groaned and leaned his head against the side of the door. "Rory, please don't make this hard. Why are you here?"

"I just got really jealous when I saw you with Louise and I couldn't figure out why," Rory explained, shaking her head. "And then I just came to your room and I really don't know why I did." She took in his appearance and glanced down with pink cheeks.

"Are you drunk?"

"No. I really didn't have that much to drink," Rory replied, honestly. She looked back at him for a moment and bit her lip. "I really just wanted to see you."

Jess took her in and breathed deeply, trying to fight any urge he had to give in. Her dress clung to her frame perfectly, her cheeks were flushed, her eyes bright, and her teeth sunk into her bottom lip. Something she did when she was nervous. When he met her eyes, he felt like he was back in his hotel room in Washington, D.C. when he gave into the feelings he had and kissed her—only to have her leave.

"Why?" He croaked out, his voice betraying him.

Rory rubbed her forearm and shrugged more before meeting his eyes again. "I don't know what I'm doing," she said, quietly as she stared back at him.

After a moment, Jess stepped forward and took her hand, bringing her into his room. He shut the door behind her and looked down at her, their eyes meeting. The tension was unbearable and she wasn't making it any easier. He couldn't make a move, not when she was engaged.

Rory leaned back against the door, her hand still holding on to his. She stayed silent, not knowing what to say to him as his hand slowly grazed her face.

"This is a bad idea." When Rory didn't reply, nor stop him, he moved his fingers through her hair and pressed his forehead against hers. He didn't want to give in so easily to her, but she had that effect on him. "I'm going to kiss you," he said, hoarsely. "Tell me not to."

"Kiss me," Rory said instead before his lips slowly met hers. He was a pro at this, making her melt just by the way he moved his mouth against hers. She got lost in the kiss and she pushed herself off the door, wrapping her arms around his neck as her hand tangled in his hair. She wasn't going to stop it this time. She wanted to be in the moment and that's exactly what she was doing.

Jess was leaving it at just kissing her until she pushed him towards the bed. He pulled back from her and stared into her eyes before she pushed the straps of her dress down her shoulders. He was nervous, but he didn't let it show. His hands moved to her straps and he pulled them down her arms and watched as the dress fell to the floor. He was surprised to see there was nothing else underneath that dress.

He swallowed thickly and stared in amazement at the body he had never seen before. She was perfect, just like he had imagined. Jess' hands moved down her arms and slipped around her waist, pulling her closely to him.

Her mouth was back on his and he pulled her tightly to his warm body, sitting back on the bed and tugging her along with him. Her tongue battled his for control before she pulled back completely and moved her kisses down his neck and to his bare chest.

Without much effort, Jess lifted her off of him and turned them over to where he was hovering over her naked form. He pushed his pants passed his hips and kissed her skin gently, moving his lips down her body only to move back up again. He met her lips and she gasped into his mouth when his hands slid down her sides.

Jess looked down at her after he pulled back and met her eyes, not wanting the moment to end, but also wanting to savor it. She placed her hands on his face and brought him down to kiss her again.

It was nothing but wandering hands and stolen kisses throughout the night as they finally connected on a level they never had before.

* * *

 _April 4, 2014 at 8:33 a.m._

When morning came, neither of them made a move to leave from where they were. As Jess turned over to face her, he smiled some, seeing she was already awake.

"Why did we wait so long to do that?" Rory asked with a laugh, her eyes roaming over his face and body. She had never seen him in the morning light like this—both exhausted from the passionate night before.

Jess shrugged one shoulder as he smirked back to her. "You were a prude," he teased, holding his head up in the palm of his hand as he stared back at her.

Her laughter always made him smile even more and it was definitely contagious. He chuckled softly as she threw her head back against the pillow and stared at the ceiling above her. "I have to go," she said with a small smile, though she felt so much guilt with what they had just done.

"I figured," Jess said, hesitantly reaching out to push her hair away from her face. "I just didn't want to be the one to mention it."

Rory lifted up, pressing the sheets to her bare chest as she turned to him and leaned forward, kissing him gently. "I'll call you, though."

He nodded, but didn't know if he believed it. "Of course."

Once she got up and gathered her clothes, she slipped her dress back on and turned to look at him. Though he knew she was scared and felt horrible about betraying someone who loved her, he still felt comforted that this wasn't the end for them. Her smile confirmed that and she exhaled deeply before saying: "I don't really regret it."


	8. Water Under the Bridge

_**Disclaimer:** I own a couple of minor characters you'll see, but that's it. Jess, Rory, and the rest of the regulars are definitely not mine._

 _ **A/N:** BLAME ADELE. This new story is completely because her new album is incredible and inspired a short story from me. The timeline will go from 2008-Present. Just hang with me ;) And GOOD NEWS. I am out for an entire month with nothing to do. Writing will be happening. If Adele just keeps crooning in my ear._

 _THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS! :)_

 _ **Chapter Rating:** R for language_

* * *

 _If you're not the one for me_  
 _Then how come I can bring you to your knees?_  
 _If you're not the one for me_  
 _Why do I hate the idea of being free?_  
 _And if I'm not the one for you_  
 _You've gotta stop holding me the way you do_  
 _Oh honey if I'm not the one for you_  
 _Why have we been through what we have been through?_

* * *

 _April 6, 2014 at 8:05 p.m._

Lorelai's eyes stayed on her quiet daughter ever since she walked through the door a couple of hours earlier. Luke was pretty oblivious to emotions, especially with females, so he didn't notice that Rory was acting odd. However, Lorelai knew the second she sat down with her arms folded across her chest and her eyes fixated on the television in front of them, that something was wrong.

When James fell asleep against Luke's shoulder, Lorelai nudged his knee to get his attention. "Luke," she whispered.

Her husband glanced over at her and then down at James when Lorelai nodded her head down to him. "Oh," he said, softly, smiling some. "I'll get him up to bed."

As soon as she watched Luke's legs disappear onto the second floor, she turned back to Rory with a raised eyebrow. "Speak, child."

The younger Gilmore's head snapped to her mother as if she was just pulled out of a deep daydream. "What? What is it?"

"Don't 'what is it' me," Lorelai said as she leaned forward on her knees. "You've been Mopey McGee ever since you walked through that door. What's going on? Djd something happen at Paris' wedding or at the reception? After we left?"

With an exaggerated sigh, Rory dropped her head on the cushion behind her and uncrossed her arms dramatically. "Mom, I really don't know if I can talk about this."

"Oh," Lorelai began, sitting back as she looked at the serious expression on her daughter's face. "This is something serious. What is it, kid?"

Rory's eyes were glued to the pencil stain on the couch as she turned her body to face her mom's. She pressed her cheek against the cushion and slowly lifted her eyes to meet Lorelais. "I don't know what I've done, but I did something bad."

"Stole a yacht? Child's play, m'dear," Lorelai teased, trying to make light though she didn't know the situation.

It earned a laugh from Rory and she shook her head with a smile as she rolled her eyes. "No," she said, her eyes beginning to water. "It wasn't illegal, but possibly immoral."

"You're killing me, Smalls."

"I slept with Jess," Rory blurted before pressing her hands to her forehead. "I wasn't even drunk. I just did it, because I wanted to. I cheated on him. I cheated on Peter, and I didn't even regret it when I woke up next to Jess the next morning. In fact, I actually liked waking up like that."

"Woah," Lorelai said, her eyes widening in surprise at this new information. "Woah. Kid, this is big. Have you told Peter?"

"No," Rory snapped, shaking her head. "God no. I told Jess I had to go and that I would call him, and then I just left. Peter and I have texted, but I have avoided telephone conversations."

"I mean," Lorelai began, running a hand through her hair. "You need to tell him, you know. You can't just leave him hanging on something like this. Do you still want to be married to Peter?"

Rory clenched her jaw, unable to help but get aggravated at the questions and nagging from her mom. "Mom, I don't know! I don't know what I want anymore. I don't know when or if I'm going to tell Peter, I don't know if I want to get married, and I don't know if I want to run off in the sunset with Jess Mariano. I just really don't know."

Lorelai felt as though she had been slapped by the tone of Rory's voice. She nodded some and glanced down, trying to gather her thoughts in a more sensitive way. She laughed some, softly, a little bitterly, and looked up to make eye contact with her firstborn. "I didn't think I'd ever hear the words run, sunset, and Jess Mariano in the same sentence from your mouth. Maybe when you were eighteen, but definitely not now. I mean, you're turning thirty this year for God's sake. I thought Jess was going to just be this bad boy phase in high school. I thought that you'd marry someone who wasn't Jess, or Dean—I mean there was the possibility of Logan, but after him, I just assumed it would be different. Someone different."

As she rambled, Rory stared down at her hands that were playing with a loose thread on the edge of the cushion. "I didn't plan this, you know," she replied, quietly. "We've been in and out of each other's lives for years and there's just so much there, mom. There's chemistry and there's unresolved feelings. Honestly, every time I am around him it's just super intense."

"Then you have to tell Peter. Because, unfortunately, Jess is going to be around all of the time, Rory."

She had that stern mother tone that Rory hated. She sighed and looked down again before standing up and pushing her hair behind her ears. "I don't want to talk about this right now, okay? I feel sick for what I've done to Peter. I just don't know what to do about it. And I'm tired, so I'm going to go to bed.

"Rory," Lorelai began, standing up from the couch and following her into the kitchen. "Honey, I know you don't want to talk about this. But, you have to decide whether you want to be with your fiancé, or you want to be with Jess."

"Stop!" Rory shouted, angrily, turning to her as she made it to her bedroom. "Please stop. I am going to bed."

* * *

 _April 20, 2014 at 6:22 p.m._

"I'm glad you came by," Jess said with a smile as he sat a cup of coffee in front of her before sitting on the couch across from the chair she was in. "I'm sorry I haven't called, I just wanted to give you some space."

"No," Rory said with a polite smile as she waved her hand and took a sip from her mug. "Don't even worry about it. I haven't been in the right frame of mind lately." She sat down her cup and stared at it with a grin. "You have copied Luke's recipe, my friend," she laughed. "Nice work."

"It keeps the ladies around," Jess teased as he leaned back in his seat with a smirk. "So, how are you?"

Rory smiled back at him with a playful eye-roll and laughed a little as she leaned back as well. "I'm fine. But, I came, because we needed to talk."

"Yeah," he said with a nod, resting his palms on his knees. "I know we do."

After a moment of silence, Rory looked up at him and took a deep breath. "I haven't told Peter, and I haven't decided anything on anything," she said, glancing down at her hands in her lap.

He wasn't surprised, but he was definitely disappointed—and that didn't go unnoticed by Rory either. Before she could continue talking, he cleared his throat and folded his hands together in front of him. "Rory. I've made my feelings for you pretty clear, more than once. I don't know what else to say to you," he said, rubbing the back of his neck, nervously. "But, I also realized that being angry at you for doing what you want to do with your life is childish of me. I've put a lot of pressure on you, and I really just want you happy."

His words made her knees weak, even though she was sitting down, and she stared back at him with unsure eyes. "We can't do this, Jess. No matter what we feel for each other, it will _never_ work. All we have ever done is hurt each other. Let's just think back for a minute, shall we?" She asked, frantically, pushing her hair from her face. "I kissed you at Sookie's wedding and pretended it didn't happen, you left town without a word and came back a year later telling me you loved me only to run off again. You asked me to run away with you and I shut you down, I kissed you in Philadelphia and then told you I loved Logan. When I think back on our past, all I can remember is the heartache."

"We had good memories, Rory," Jess interrupted with a sigh. "And good Lord, we can let a lot of that go by now."

"Of course we did," she said with a disgruntled sigh. "But that's not what I think of when I think of us. I think of all the shit we did to each other. Not those little moments of happiness, even though those moments were some of my happiest. We are not good for each other. We're both such passionate people and that should be a good thing, but it's not. We just won't work."

"Because you're scared!" Jess declared, loudly, his anger rising with how final she sounded. She didn't even want to try. "We never had a fighting chance, Rory. We dated during the worst years of my life and that's not fair, because you were the best thing I had in my life. You and Luke were everything to me. But, I was such a fuck up that I couldn't keep you. So, I grew up, and I don't get another chance at this? How many chances did Dean get? Logan? Peter? Don't I deserve another chance?"

Rory closed her eyes and pressed her hands to her forehead, taking a deep breath before she composed herself and looked up at him. "Jess, I'm not denying that we—"

"No," Jess said, firmly, staring her back in the eyes. "This would be different if you had absolutely no feelings for me whatsoever, but you do. Why would you deny yourself happiness?"

"Because, I don't see it ending well," Rory stated, holding his eye contact for the slightest moment before looking down again. "I don't see it ending well at all, and I _do_ see it ending. That is for sure."

Jess stayed silent, letting her words sink in. He sighed and nodded his head, not wanting to fight her anymore. She didn't want this, and he wasn't going to force her into it. He stood up and took her empty coffee cup. "I guess this is it, then."

"Yeah," Rory said, rubbing the back of her forearm as she looked away from him. "I guess so." She didn't want to leave, and she didn't want this to be it. But, she was terrified of being with him. She stood up slowly and watched as he put the cups in the sink before walking back into the living room where she was.

"I'll walk you out," Jess said, heading for the door. He didn't want to kick her out, but what else could he do? When he made it to the front door, he turned to look at her before he opened it.

Rory shoved her hands into her jacket pockets after she slipped it on and sighed some, looking back at him. "I'm sorry, Jess. I'm so sorry."

"Don't be. Like I said," Jess said, staring back at her. "I'm not forcing you into a relationship. And I mean it when I say I want you to be happy."

"I want you to be happy, too," she replied, looking outside to where her car was sitting. She took another deep breath and pushed her purse up on her shoulder.

Jess shrugged some as he glanced down at his shoes. "I will be," he said before she stepped out of his doorway and walked to her car. She turned to give him an awkward wave and he returned it, the moment feeling all too familiar.

* * *

 _October 10, 2014 at 10:23 a.m._

"Happy Birthday!" Rory heard as soon as she walked through the door. She smiled some and walked into the living room where her mom was standing with a large cup of coffee and a party hat perched on her head.

"Yabby Burtday!" James copied, standing up on the couch with a grin, clapping at the sight of his big sister.

"Mom," Rory laughed as her mom enveloped her in a giant hug. "My birthday was two days ago."

"But your party is tonight!" Lorelai said, leaning back to look at her with a smile. "And for your big three-oh, your grandparents have planned quite the celebration. Also, don't be surprised if there are many male suitors there for your choosing. Your grandmother is on that kick where she believes you're never going to have kids. But, no worries, we collaborated. So the party will be in town square."

"How did you swing that?" Rory asked as her mom popped a party hat on top of her head. "Did you bribe them?"

"You think so little of me, loin fruit," Lorelai grinned, placing her hands on her shoulders. "Get ready for the biggest Stars Hollow extravaganza since 2012's Firelight Festival when Taylor stripped and sang "You Shook Me All Night Long" while Patty threw dollar bills at him."

Another laugh escaped from Rory's lips as she squeezed her eyes shut to block out that memory. "Oh mom, why? I did many many shots to forget what Taylor's body looked like."

"Sorry, babe," Lorelai laughed, rubbing her arms with a grin. "We must both endure that memory." She walked Rory over to the couch and plopped down, throwing her arm across her shoulders. "So, how are you?"

"I'm fine," Rory said with a smile as she looked over to her mom. "In a good, solid place. I know we've talked a lot about my new job over the phone, but I wanted to be in person to go over all of the juicy details."

"Ooooh!" Lorelai cooed, grabbing James off of the couch and planting him in her lap as she listened to her daughter. "I love juicy."

"So first of all, I really like Maryland. I never thought I'd like it as much as I do. Also, my boss is pretty great. She's this real tough feminist shark who makes you really scared and inspired all at the same time in that one 60 second interval that you have her attention," Rory finished with a laugh, shrugging her shoulders in the way she always did when she was excited. "I never thought I'd get a position at The Baltimore Sun. I mean, it's in the top 100 newspapers in the United States. That is incredible."

Lorelai smiled in pride as she listened to her daughter ramble about her new job, and she loved it. She never thought she would have created something this wonderful—but she did. "I am so very proud of you. I cannot wait to come visit! You need to give me all of the details on how tourists are supposed to act in Baltimore." She earned a laugh from Rory as she let her own giggle escape her lips. "So, have you talked to Peter?"

"No," Rory said as she shook her head and glanced down at her lap. "Not since we broke it off a couple of months ago. Honestly, I expected him to call every now and then, but he really hasn't. He was really upset with me when we ended things."

"When you ended things," Lorelai corrected with a look. "He had a right to be upset."

Nodding her head, Rory looked at the wall ahead of her and took a deep breath, exhaling with a groan. "Anyway, I'm in a good place at the moment. I'm a little lonely, but I really like my job."

"My little droopy drawers, all grown up," Lorelai said, leaning forward and pinching her cheek.

* * *

Guys, thank you so much for the feedback! Please keep it coming, it makes me write so fast!


	9. Hello

_**Disclaimer:** I own a couple of minor characters you'll see, but that's it. Jess, Rory, and the rest of the regulars are definitely not mine._

 _ **A/N:** BLAME ADELE. This new story is completely because her new album is incredible and inspired a short story from me. The timeline will go from 2008-Present. Just hang with me ;) And GOOD NEWS. I am out for an entire month with nothing to do. Writing will be happening. If Adele just keeps crooning in my ear._

 _THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS! :)_

 _ **Chapter Rating:** PG-13_

* * *

 _Hello from the other side  
_ _I must have called a thousand times  
_ _To tell you I'm sorry for everything that I've done  
_ _But when I call you never seem to be home_

 _Hello from the outside  
_ _At least I can say that I've tried  
_ _To tell you I'm sorry for breaking your heart  
_ _But it don't matter it clearly doesn't tear you apart anymore_

* * *

 _October 10, 2014 at 7:35 p.m._

"Jess, what are you doing here?" Luke asked with a smile as he walked out of his diner and hugged his nephew. "You know it's Rory's party tonight, right? Are you here for that?"

Jess laughed a little and nodded, leaning back from his uncle with a smile. "I knew it was her party tonight, yes, but I am not in town strictly for that. Liz and TJ are leaving for the weekend and wanted me to come stay with Doula. They knew you had your hands full." He grinned a little and took a bag of ice from him with a laugh. "Quite literally."

"Oh! Yeah, thanks," Luke said with a nod as he walked towards the town square with him. "Well, you can at least come join the party while you are here."

"Doula begged me to bring her," Jess said, sighing as he walked with him towards the gazebo. "So here we are."

"Rory will be glad to see you here, I'm sure."

He glanced over at his uncle with a smirk, laughing at his naivety. "Oh yeah, she'll be stoked," he said, sarcastically.

"What?" Luke asked as he set the ice down on the beverage table before opening an ice chest to dump it in. "What did you do?"

"Ouch, Luke," Jess replied with an eye-roll as he dumped his bag of ice in as well. "Why does it have to be me?"

"No, no," he said, holding his hands up as he turned to look at Jess. "I just… she hadn't mentioned she was mad at you."

"You mean on your weekly girl talks?"

"You know what I mean, smartass. I meant that Lorelai hadn't mentioned anything to me that Rory may have mentioned to her."

Jess nodded some and sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I'm sorry, Luke. I didn't mean to be an ass. Look, I'm going to go find Doula and I'll come check back in with you in a bit."

* * *

 _October 10, 2014 at 7:56 p.m._

Sitting at a table playing with Lane's new baby, Rory had completely lost track of time and neglected how she should be mingling with all of her guests. After a few pieces of cake, she had been too full to even walk, much less talk. When she gave the one-year-old back to her mom, she stood up to make it over to her mom and James.

Rory dumped her plate and turned around to come face to face with sandy blonde hair and green eyes. "Peter."

"Your grandmother sent me an invitation," Peter said with a small smile, sticking his hands in his pockets. "I really wanted to see you. I feel like I was kind of a jerk to you when we ended things."

"Completely warranted," Rory said with a small smile, pushing her hair behind her ear. "I'm glad you came. It was really nice of you."

"Can we talk?" Peter asked her, clearing his throat some as he looked around. "I won't keep you long, I promise."

She glanced around and nodded with a smile, waving to her mom to let her know where she was headed. "Come on, let's go over here," she said as she crossed her arms over her chest and led the way.

Once they were out of the town's view, Rory took a seat on one of the benches next to the sidewalk and waited for him to sit as well. Her heart was pounding, nervous about what he could possibly want to say to her.

"When you first told me about you and Jess," Peter began, his eyes facing forward, not making eye contact with hers just yet, "I was so angry at you, but I was also really hurt. I blew up at you, and didn't even let you say what you wanted to say."

"Peter," Rory started with a sigh, not wanting to relive that argument. "Your reaction was expected, and I said what I needed to say that day. We ended things, and we should have. We were not in the same place."

"What if we are now?" He asked, looking back at her. "I can be on the same page as you now. Look, I forgive what you did. I was being selfish and so focused on work that I missed everything you wanted us to do together. I don't blame you for being lonely—"

"Stop," Rory interrupted. "That's no excuse. I should have never cheated on you."

Peter shook his head and placed his hand on her knee. "I'm telling you now that I forgive you. Why don't we start over? I can take you on a date, and we can go from there."

Her eyes stared at his face, searching for something that she couldn't quite put her finger on. What was she trying to read? "Pete," she began, shaking her head some. She didn't know what else to say and he didn't waste anytime before jumping in again.

"I miss you, and I know you miss me," Peter said, looking back at her with his charming smile that always used to make her melt. "Let me take you on a date."

She tentatively placed her hand on top of his and gave him a faint smile, sighing softly as she did. "Can I think about it?"

"Of course," Peter replied, a grin painted on his face.

* * *

 _October 10, 2014 at 8:23 p.m._

Rory leaned up against the gazebo with her mom, glancing over at Peter as he made small talk with her grandpa. She bit her lip some and sighed, deeply before looking up at her mom. "So, Peter is here."

"I saw," Lorelai replied, taking a bite of the ice cream that Taylor was scooping out of his cart by the food table. "I was waiting on you to come tell me what it was about."

"He just said he missed me and wanted to know if he could take me on a date, and we could start over," Rory said, glancing down at her mom's bowl before taking her spoon and stealing a bite.

"Hey," Lorelai snapped, stealing the spoon back before taking another scoop for her own mouth. "Anyway, what did you say to him? This is a big deal."

"I told him that I would think about it?" Rory recalled, her tone anything but confident. She laughed a little at herself and placed her head in her hands with a groan. "I just want to be done with this phase of my life. Why can't I already be happily married with children and a hefty 401k?"

"Oh my dear child," Lorelai said with a smile as she placed her arm around her shoulders with a grin. "One day, you're going to be in the kitchen with the love of your life and your child and you're going to get a call from The New York Times asking you to come work for them. And this conversation will be such a distant memory and concern."

Rory laughed and leaned back with her, looking up at the sky at the banner that Luke and Jackson had hung for her. She smiled some and leaned her head on her mom's shoulder. "This town is really great."

"It is," her mother agreed, rubbing Rory's shoulder lightly. "So, why don't you go talk to Peter? Your grandpa looks like he's torturing him."

Her eyes fell on them and she smiled, softly, as she watched them. Peter was trying, and that was something because she was the one who initially ended things after telling him she cheated on him. She nodded some and pushed off of her mom as she stood up and headed their way.

Jess had been talking with Zach when he saw Rory leave her mother's side. He excused himself and made his way over to her. "Rory," he called and when she stopped and turned to him, her eyes were wide with surprise.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, but smiled a little as she did. After their last encounter, she just figured they'd see way less of each other.

"I need to talk to you," he said, glancing down. "I don't mean to crash your party, but I'm in town to watch Doula, and I just had something I wanted to say to you."

 _Two guys in one night,_ Rory thought with a small, nervous smile as she nodded to him. "Sure," she said, shoving her hands in her pockets. She glanced over at Peter who was busy with Richard, and looked back to Jess. "Not here, okay?"

"Yeah," Jess nodded as he turned with her to walk back towards Luke's. "I'll only be a few minutes." As they fell into step with one another, he took a deep breath and glanced over at her. "Happy Birthday, first of all," he began with a laugh. "I know it was a couple of days ago, but happy birthday."

She laughed a little at that and nodded as she pushed her hair behind her ears. "Well, thank you."

"Yeah," he said, glancing down before stopping right in front of Luke's door. "Look, I'm going to make this quick," he said as he turned to face her. "I know your fears. You say it's because we hurt each other, but it's really that you don't trust me. And, I get it. I wasn't the most reliable or stable person in the years you knew me. Your fears are understandable, Rory. I was angry at you for a while, because I just thought you were using our past as an excuse. I get it, though. You still think of me as that kid who blew through Stars Hollow like a tornado. I'm not that boy anymore, and I will try my damnedest to prove that to you. But, please let me."

He pretty much knew exactly how she had been feeling, but was too scared to say. She looked back at him and shook her head with her eyes closed. "Jess, I don't know. I can't do this right now."

With a sigh, Jess dropped his hands to his side and nodded some, understanding. "You're right. It's your party, and I am being selfish. But, just know that I'm not waiting forever this time. I want you, and I'm all in. However, that doesn't mean you can come back to me next year and expect me to be there with open arms." After a moment of silence, he nodded to her briefly. "Happy birthday again, Ror."

When he walked away, she stared after him with her arms crossed over her chest. How could her birthday party turn into yet another love triangle? And why do they always involve Jess?

* * *

 _October 10, 2014 at 11:32 p.m._

"Well, that was a success," Lorelai grinned as they walked in the house with James passed out on Luke's shoulder and Rory stumbling behind.

"Best thirtieth birthday a girl could have," Rory agreed with a laugh as she walked into the living room and plopped down on the couch. "Thank you so much, mom."

"Oh honey, of course," her mother replied, walking over to her. She sat beside her and leaned her head against her palm with a small smile. "So, I saw you and Jess talking. What's going on there?"

"Mom," Rory began with a groan. "I don't even know what to do. Peter wanted to talk and then Jess wanted to talk, and I was completely overwhelmed and caught off guard."

Lorelai rubbed her daughter's arm and nodded some, just letting her talk. "Well, how did it end up?"

"I didn't talk to either of them for the rest of the night, really," Rory replied, glancing down at her hands that were laced in her lap. "They both knew I needed time to think. But, I don't know what to do."

"You're going to have to choose, Rory," Lorelai finally said with a shrug. "Jess, Peter, or severing ties with the both of them."

The younger Gilmore made eye contact with her mom and nodded, knowingly. She knew that, she just knew how hard it would be to let one of them go. She knew what she had to do, but she felt sick having to do it.

* * *

PLEASE continue your wonderful reviews!


	10. Sweetest Devotion

_**Disclaimer:** I own a couple of minor characters you'll see, but that's it. Jess, Rory, and the rest of the regulars are definitely not mine._

 _ **A/N:** BLAME ADELE. This new story is completely because her new album is incredible and inspired a short story from me. The timeline will go from 2008-Present. Just hang with me ;) _

_THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS! :)_

 _ **Chapter Rating:** PG-13_

* * *

 _I find it funny  
That you're the only_  
 _One I never looked for_  
 _There is something in your lovin'_  
 _That tears down my walls_

 _I wasn't ready then_  
 _I'm ready now_  
 _I'm heading straight for you_  
 _You will only be eternally_  
 _The one that I belong to_

* * *

 _April 14, 2015 at 4:32 p.m._

The car rolled to a stop next to diner and Jess looked over at the town square that was crowded with the townspeople setting up for the party. He waited a moment before taking a deep breath and getting out of the car. It's not that he didn't like the town, it was just that his mother could be quite overwhelming at times.

Jess' eyes went from one side of the street to the other before he crossed the road and casually walked up to the group of people who were staring at Jackson and Maury as they hung up the birthday banner.

"It's a little crooked," he commented, dryly, as he walked up behind Kirk and they all groaned in annoyance.

"Why did you have to say that?" Gypsy all but screeched as her hands gestured to the two men in front of them. "They've been going at it for hours! Patty says too far right, Taylor says too far left, and it's been a big tug-o-war since 2!"

Jess chuckled some to himself and shrugged a shoulder with a smirk. "I thought I was helping, my apologies," he commented before looking at Kirk who was staring at his arms. "What's your deal, Kirk?"

"We were waiting on you to get here. We need someone with arm strength to carry the ice chest of beer from Luke's to here," Kirk said, looking back at him. "I would, but I worked out last night and my muscles are a little sensitive."

Jess looked back at him with an incredulous stare before Kirk glanced down and cleared his throat.

"Okay, I just can't lift it."

"That's what I thought," Jess said with a smirk before turning to go towards the diner. He didn't fully face the diner before he saw her across the square. Her back was facing him and she was in mid-conversation with the two loudest women in Stars Hollow. He loved to watch the way she moved, she wasn't graceful by any means, but she was so animated in the way she told stories.

Without a second thought, he made his way over to her. As soon as he approached her, he slid his arm around her waist, making her jump in surprise.

"Oh!" She said as soon as she felt a hand rest on her hip. She turned to face Jess and grinned, placing a hand on his cheek before kissing him, her excited smile still in place. "I didn't think you'd come!" She said with a laugh, placing her arms around his neck as she turned away from Babette and Patty. "You said you wouldn't be able to make it."

"I wanted to surprise you," Jess said, leaning forward and kissing her briefly. "I can't miss Luke's birthday."

"You only turn fifty once," Rory replied, looking up at him with that childlike grin that always made him instantly happy. He lived to put that smile on her face.

"Exactly," Jess said with a wink, pushing some hair behind her ear. "Want to watch me bring an ice chest of beer to the town square?"

"Nothing would make me swoon more," Rory teased, dramatically, as she held onto his arm.

"Hi Jess," Miss Patty said in a sing-song voice with a flirtatious smirk, "don't you look more and more like your uncle every day?"

Jess let a light laugh escape his lips and shook his head. He usually heard that he looked like Jimmy—not Luke. "Hey Miss Patty. I've honestly never heard that, but thank you I guess."

"Luke is a handsome man, sugar," Babette piped up, gesturing towards the diner as if he were in there.

"Oh yeah," Jess agreed, awkwardly, glancing down at Rory for help. "Very handsome. Look, I've actually got to go get a few things so we can finish setting up before he gets back." He still had his arm around Rory when he turned away from the women who were already waving goodbye.

Rory was beaming, unable to help herself. Babette and Patty always knew how to make a situation awkward, whether they meant to or not. As they walked towards the diner, their fingers intertwined, she kept her blue eyes glued to his face. "So," she began, staring him down with that smile that wasn't fading. "You're here. You came here. I'm so happy to see you!"

"You mentioned probably around ten different times on the phone that you were going to Stars Hollow for Luke's fiftieth birthday party," he replied, walking up to the door and using the key resting on top to get inside. "I thought it was a hint that I better be here."

"Well," she led on with a laugh as she followed him inside. "I just figured since the weekends were when we got to see each other then you would probably like to come see me here. And see your uncle."

He gave her a look over his shoulder as he bent down to pick up the chest and laughed a little at her statement. "You weren't as subtle as you tried to be."

"Subtleness is not my forte," Rory replied, leaning back against the door, watching him. When he walked back towards her, she opened the door for him and closed it behind him.

"No," Jess replied, sarcastically, grinning some at her as she caught up to fall into step with him. "So, how did you guys get Luke out of town?"

"Mom and James went fishing with him," Rory replied with another laugh, mostly at thinking about her mom in her fishing hat this morning.

Jess smirked some at that and made it to the gazebo where he dropped the ice chest and turned back to Rory, placing his hands on her hips before tugging her closer to him. "Do you think we have like an hour we can steal?"

"Oh? And why would we need an hour?" She asked, raising an eyebrow as she reached up slightly on her toes before planting a kiss on his lips.

"I'm insulted," Jess mumbled against her lips.

"Back to the diner?"

With a quick nod, Jess pulled back and grabbed her hand, pulling her with him as he walked back towards Luke's.

* * *

 _April 14, 2015 at 8:13 p.m._

"I've never had a surprise birthday party before," Luke said with a smile as he leaned back against the bench on the gazebo, beer in hand. "Did you have something to do with this?"

"Well," Jess began, looking around the party. "I brought out that ice chest, hung up those lights over there, picked up all of the food, and set out the chairs. But, I didn't plan it. That was your wife."

"I have no doubt," he said, looking over at Lorelai as she 'pinned the hat on the Luke.' "She's something. And so is Rory."

Jess smiled more at that and took another sip of his beer as he glanced at Rory who was standing beside her mom. "She is."

"I'm happy for you two."

"Thank you," Jess replied, smiling a little more as he looked back to Luke. "It was a long time coming."

"There was a time and a place for you and Rory. I think you both needed to," Luke paused, trying to think of the right word before looking back at Jess. "Grow."

"And we did. Now, we get to do that together."

* * *

 _July 12, 2015 at 7:36 p.m._

"I have to go," Jess whispered in the living room, holding her close to him as their eyes were fixed on the screen in front of them. _Catch Me If You Can_. Tom Hanks was always Jess' favorite actor—anything with him in it would keep him glued to the television until the end.

Rory groaned, burying her face into his side with an annoyed huff. "No," she whined, pouting as she lifted her head to look up at him. "Do you have to?"

His fingers grazed her cheek and he leaned down to capture her lips with his own. It was a brief, soft kiss, but so much passion behind it. "I have a two hour drive," he said, looking into her eyes. "And I have work in the morning."

"You can always get up at six and drive in," she suggested with a smile, knowing that it was almost impossible to get him to wake up earlier than his normal routine.

With a laugh, he looked back at her before kissing her forehead softly. These moments were rare so Rory usually took full advantage of them. She laid her head on his chest after he pulled back and inhaled deeply, wrapping her arm around his midriff. "I know, I know," she said, "you'll be worthless tomorrow if you stay longer."

"You know I won't leave the bed if I waited until morning to go," he replied, rubbing her arm as he glanced up at the television screen again. After a few moments, Rory slowly looked up at him and placed her hand on his cheek to get his attention. He glanced down at her with a smile and tilted his head to the side, questioning the serious look in her eye. "What is it?" He asked, his heart beating a little faster, nervous by the look on her face.

"I love you," she breathed out, almost without thinking, even though she had been thinking about telling him that for weeks.

His smile lit up his entire face and he stared down at her before leaning in and kissing her once more. "I love you, too," he replied, glancing up into her eyes before pressing his lips to hers again.

When she finally pulled herself away from him, she smiled some and glanced down at her lap, unsure of how to say this next part. "Which is why I think we need to talk about the growth of our relationship."

With a raised eyebrow, Jess sat up on the couch and turned to face her, clearing his throat a little. "The growth of our relationship? What does that mean?"

"I mean," Rory began, sitting up a little to look back at him. "We're kind of stuck in the same place. We see each other on weekends. You still live in Philadelphia and I still live here in Baltimore. I feel like we need to discuss how we progress from here."

"There isn't much we can do, Ror," Jess clarified, rather bluntly. "I have a job, you have a job. We can't just drop our careers. We aren't that far apart, and we won't be doing it forever."

"Well, that sounds final," Rory mumbled, pushing off of the couch to stand up.

"Oh come on," Jess began, reaching to grab her hand so she couldn't walk away. "It's not final, but there is just so much we can do right now. We both knew it would be like this for a while. What are we supposed to do?"

"I can transfer to Philly."

"No way in hell would I let you do that," Jess said, meeting her eyes with a serious look in his. "You have worked your ass off to get where you are and you can't just throw that away."

Rory broke eye contact with him and stared at a crooked picture frame on the wall ahead of her. "So you're perfectly content with long distance," she stated, not a hint of a question in her voice.

"Of course I'm not," he replied, finally standing up in front of her. He placed his hands on her arms and tried to catch her eyes, but she was fixated on the wall behind him. With a sigh, he placed his hands on her face and made her look at him. "Rory, I wish that I could see you every morning when I wake up for work, and every evening when I come home. Every day that goes by is another day closer to Friday when I get to see you in person. I plan on being in this for the long run, and I have no doubt that when the time is right we will end up in the same place."

Her eyes stayed fixated on his face and she slowly smiled back at him before leaning her forehead against his. "I'm just scared that you're going to want all or nothing."

"Just because we aren't in the same place doesn't mean I don't think I have it all. I have you," Jess replied, lacing his fingers with hers. "That _is_ all for me."

* * *

 _September 3, 2015 at 6:23 p.m._

Jess set his whiskey down on the table and smiled across at the beautiful girl in front of him. She cut her bangs again and the way they fell over her eyes made those blue irises glisten even brighter than usual. He loved when she grew her hair out, not that her short locks weren't just as attractive. It was something about those long waves that made him absolutely crazy. He couldn't wait to get her back to his house.

"Have you decided what you're ordering?" Jess asked her, laughing a little at the abnormal time it was taking her to figure out her meal.

Rory looked back at him and smiled some at the humor he found in her ordering process. "There's just so many choices, and we rarely come here so I'm trying to make the right one."

"I'm getting the steak," he responded, knowing she could mark that off of her list since she would just take a few bites of his. "So, that narrows it down some, right?"

"Definitely," she responded with a girlish grin as she set the menu down. "I'll have the peppercorn chicken." She bit her lip some as she looked over at Jess and pushed her hair behind her ear. "So, are you going to tell me why we are here tonight?"

His famous smirk graced his features. "You have no patience."

"I have no patience," she repeated, laughing as her nerves got the best of her. He wanted to take her to her favorite place in the middle of the week. He never made trips like this, and kept telling her how important it was. It had to be the night he was going to propose, right? At least that's what she told herself when he showed up in a suit. A SUIT.

"Alright," he said, his face showing pure excitement at what he was about to say. He took a deep breath and reached across the table to take her hand. "I wanted to wait for this until I knew it was a for sure thing, but now it is. So, Matt and I put in a bid on another publishing company to expand Truncheon."

At first, her face was red from anxiety at his next few words. Then, when he began to speak, the bright features on her face fell and the smile that was painted on was less than enthused. "I'm sorry," she said, clearing her throat a little. "You are expanding the company?"

"Yes!" Jess exclaimed, grinning at the notion and not yet noticing how taken back his girlfriend was.

Rory stared back at him for a moment and shook her head a little, unable to grasp what she was hearing. "You put in a bid on another publishing house without talking to me about it? About our future? This sounds pretty permanent, Jess. I guess we have decided Philadelphia is our end game?"

"I—I don't know what you're getting at here, I thought you would be excited."

"Excited? That you made this huge commitment without telling me? What about us? I'm still in Baltimore, Jess. I didn't think we decided that we would end up in Philadelphia. You are being so incredibly selfish here!"

"Selfish? I am doing this for our future, Rory. This is a big step and could be huge for business," Jess replied, starting to get angry at her reaction. Why couldn't she be happy for his successes like he was hers? "I didn't make this big of a deal when you got promoted."

"You told me to take the promotion! I at least talked to you about it before I did it," Rory seethed, pushing her chair out from the table to leave. She was not about to make a scene in a public place. Without waiting for him, she grabbed her coat and left the room.

It didn't take him a second before he was out of his chair and following her outside. "What is wrong with you? I didn't want to tell you until I knew it was certain."

"This is what you do! You do things for yourself and then expect everyone to fall in line with your decisions!"

"That is not true or fair, Rory," Jess replied, his voice growing deeper in his anger. "I have always put you first."

She stared back at him, tears threatening to fall from her eyes as she tried to swallow the lump in her throat. "I thought you were going to propose! But instead, we take one step back. What happened to you fighting for me? Where is that Jess?"

"I thought I won that fight. I thought you and I were in this together no matter what, and I thought you would be happy and proud of the business decisions I was making. I did this so we could be secure, so that I _could_ propose to you. What was I supposed to do?" He finished, defeated at the way this argument was going. "Give up that opportunity and stay in one place?"

Rory looked down, her hair falling in her face as she did. "You were supposed to talk to me about it."

After a moment of silence where Jess was trying to calm his anger, he finally looked up at her with a ragged breath. "What do you want me to do?"

"I don't know."

* * *

 _Review please?_


	11. Lay Me Down

_**Disclaimer:** I own a couple of minor characters you'll see, but that's it. Jess, Rory, and the rest of the regulars are definitely not mine._

 _ **A/N:** BLAME ADELE. This new story is completely because her new album is incredible and inspired a short story from me. The timeline will go from 2008-Present. Just hang with me ;) _

_THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS! :)_

 _ **Chapter Rating:** R_

* * *

 _I would never lie to you unless you tell me to  
Every part of me, all my words to hold_  
 _And hold against me, why won't you let it be?_

* * *

September 3, 2015 at 8:30 p.m.

His hands fumbled with the doorknob behind Rory's back and he grinned against her lips at her reluctance to help him get it unlocked. He pulled back from her eager mouth and breathlessly chuckled as he gently moved her aside.

"The quicker I get this unlocked, the quicker we can get out of our clothes," he whispered against her ear, earning a visible shiver from her, before skillfully unlocking the door and pushing it open.

She bit her lip with a playful grin and stepped inside the dark house with him, jumping up slightly and wrapping her legs around his waist. He caught her gracefully and laughed, pressing her against the counter to get a good grip on her body. Once he hoisted her bottom onto the cold countertop, she hurriedly unbuttoned the shirt underneath his suit jacket and shoved the coat onto the ground, her mouth glued to his.

"Jess," Rory gasped, raking her nails against his scalp as his lips traveled down her neck, his tongue pressing against her pulse.

"Come on," he mumbled, lifting her to take her to the bedroom. She shook her head and moved her hands to his shoulders, clutching tightly.

"No," she said, shaking her head as she did. "Stay here. It's exciting," she said with a laugh as he sat her bottom back on the table and reached around to unzip her dress with a boyish smirk. He leaned back and let his eyes roam her body as he pushed the dress down her shoulders.

She squirmed under his gaze, blushing furiously as his eyes finally met hers. "Well, like what you see?" She teased, trying her damnedest to be as confident as he was in these situations. It just wasn't her. She barely liked to be naked with the lights on.

Jess chuckled as he raised an eyebrow at her statement. He leaned closer, placing his hands on her cheeks, a smirk playing on his lips. "Oh I do," he said, quietly, "You're the most beautiful woman I have ever seen."

"Stop, you're embarrassing me," Rory laughed, leaning in to kiss him again though her face was fully flushed from his compliment. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close, her teeth lightly scraping against his bottom lip. Without a second thought, she pushed his pants down with her feet and wrapped her legs around his waist.

Jess pushed up the fabric at her thighs and pressed into her as his fingers dug into her thighs. "Shit," he breathed out, feeling her warmth as his mouth moved from her mouth, to her neck, to the swell of her breasts. His tongue ran down her breasts and earned a satisfied moan from her mouth.

* * *

September 4, 2015 at 12:10 a.m.

After a deep breath, Rory turned on her side and looked over at Jess. She held her head up with her palm and looked down at him. "Now that we've successfully avoided the conversation—"

"Three times," Jess said with a smile as he opened his eyes and looked up at her. "Once on the counter," he said, lifting up and kissing her gently, "once in the shower." His lips pressed against her chin and down to her neck. "And once again when we hit the bed. Want to make it four?"

She laughed and tucked the sheet closer to her body, closing her eyes as she tilted her head to the side. "No," she said, though her body said otherwise. "We have to talk about this."

With a sigh, Jess conceded and pressed his head back against the pillow behind him. "What do you want me to do, Ror?"

"I don't know," Rory said, honestly, looking back at him. She placed her hand on his cheek and looked down at him. "I was caught off guard. I am so proud of you, and I support any business decision that enhances your career. I just thought we'd be closer to figuring out how to be closer."

"Rory, this is just the start in expanding Truncheon," Jess began, sitting up and leaning back against the headboard of the bed. "The next one we open is going to be wherever you are. That was always my plan." He paused and ran a hand through her hair, "I probably should have included you in that discussion. But, you've got to give me a break, I've been alone for a long time and I have never had to discuss my future with anyone else."

A weak smile graced her features as she leaned into his hand with a deep sigh. "I'm sorry I overreacted. This is still new to both of us and I just thought that maybe—"

"I was going to propose," he interjected with a grin as he looked up at her. "I didn't know you were ready for that."

"Are _you_?" Rory asked with a nervous laugh pushing her hair behind her ear. "I mean, I can understand if you aren't. It hasn't even been a year yet, and we live far apart—we barely see each other."

"I've been ready since I danced with you at Luke's wedding," Jess responded seriously, staring back into her oceanic eyes. "You've always been it for me."

Her heartbeat increased and she stared back at him for a moment before leaning in and kissing him again, pressing her hand against his jaw. She leaned back after a moment and gave him a small smile, pressing her forehead against his.

"I'm ready, too," she said, quietly.

* * *

September 4, 2015 at 12:31 p.m.

"So you're… engaged?" Lorelai asked with an unsure smile, taking a sip of her coffee as she leaned against the front desk of the inn, holding the phone between her shoulder and her ear.

"I don't know!" Rory exclaimed, looking down at her coffee as she waited on her toast in the toaster. "We really didn't talk the rest of the night and then I didn't want to bring it up this morning before he left."

"You both said you were ready to be engaged, and that was the end of it?" Lorelai asked her, tilting her head to the side with a confused chuckle.

"I guess so," the younger Gilmore said with a shrug as she took a long sip from the large ceramic mug in her hand. "Maybe I just shouldn't mention it until he does. Maybe he said it in the heat of the moment."

"Yeah," Lorelai said slowly, laughing a little as she set her mug down. "I think that's probably not the best way to handle it. Just ask him. Is he coming back tonight or are you going there?"

"I'm driving there for the weekend," Rory said, leaning back against the kitchen counter in the break room of her office. "I guess we will talk about it then."

"Hon, are you sure you want to get married?" Lorelai asked with a smile.

"Do you not want me to?"

"Oh no, no," Lorelai said, shaking her head as she set down her decorative mug. "Of course I want whatever you want. I just want to make sure you are really sure about this."

On her way back to her office, she stayed silent. As soon as she was sitting behind her desk, the picture beside her laptop caught her eye. She smiled as she took in the image. A candid shot in front of her mom's Christmas tree, her arms around Jess' neck from behind as he opened the gift she carefully picked out for him. His smile was so childlike, full of excitement. And she could just remember how happy she was to put that smile on his face.

"Oh, I'm sure," she breathed into the phone with a small laugh. "I'm so sure."

She could hear her daughter's smile from the other end of the line and she nodded, taking a deep breath. "Then you definitely need to talk to him, kid," she said with a grin.

* * *

December 23, 2015 at 10:57 p.m.

"I'm scared he won't like his gift," Rory stated, her eyes on the ceiling above them. "And then he won't like me."

"You've been around Jake over a year, Rory," Jess mumbled, his head stuffed in his pillow as he tried to sleep. "He already likes you."

"No," Rory said, lifting up in bed to look over at him. "No, this is my first Christmas living here and I want him to like me living here as his mother. If this gift isn't up to par then I'm not good enough."

"Well," Jess said with an agitated sigh as he sat up in bed as well. "Seeing as last Christmas he got half of my steak from dinner and a tennis ball, you're already winning."

"You're an awful parent," Rory said, gaping at him. "Look, this is important. It took Paul Anka quite a bit of time before he liked me. I just need Jake to warm up a little faster."

"Okay," Jess said with a smile as leaned forward and pressed his lips to her forehead. "For starters, you should know, you are sleeping in his spot every night now. He was forgiving when it was every other weekend, but every night? I don't know how well he's handling it."

"Oh my gosh! I've booted him out of his bed!" Rory screeched, getting out of bed and running to the door. "Jake!" She called after she opened the door. "Come here, boy!"

Jess laughed out loud and fell back into the bed with a groan. "Rory, come on... it's going to be an early morning for us." He heard the tapping of nails against the hardwood floor as the jingling collar came closer. Without another second passing, he felt the bed sink down as his large Goldendoodle bounded on the bed and pawed his face.

"He's sleeping with us," Rory said with a smile as she walked over to him and jumped in the bed next to them. "Now he'll definitely love me."

"Not more than I do," Jess said with a grin as he scratched behind Jake's ears and looked over to Rory. He pulled her closer and let his hand slide up to hers, taking it gently as he glanced at the diamond on her hand. "This looks great on you."

With a content sigh, Rory leaned back into him and gazed down at the diamond. She felt Jake settle at their feet and Jess' arms wrap around her torso. "I think so, too."

"Now it's time to go to bed," Jess said with a smirk as he slowly closed his eyes.


	12. Treat Me Soft

_**Disclaimer:** I own a couple of minor characters you'll see, but that's it. Jess, Rory, and the rest of the regulars are definitely not mine._

 _ **A/N:** BLAME ADELE. This new story is completely because her new album is incredible and inspired a short story from me. The timeline will go from 2008-Present. Just hang with me ;) _

_THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS! :)_

 _ **Chapter Rating:** R_

* * *

 _I want every single piece of you_  
 _I want your heaven and your ocean's too_  
 _Treat me soft but touch me cool_  
 _I wanna teach you things you never knew, baby_  
 _Bring the floor up to my knees_  
 _Let me fall into your gravity_  
 _And kiss me back to life to see_  
 _Your body standing over me_

* * *

April 24, 2016 at 2:36 p.m.

"This is so exciting," Lorelai said with a grin as she went through the stack of R.S.V.P. cards in front of her on her kitchen table. Across from her, Liz was making bracelets for the bridesmaids, Rory was going down her check-list, and Jess was cracking open his third beer by the fridge. "I just didn't think you and Jess would be having this big gold-leaf invitation; chicken-or-salmon extravaganza."

"Me neither," Jess muttered, his lips pursed against the rim of the bottle he clutched in his hands. "But the Emily Gilmore always wins."

"Always, my friend," Lorelai responded with a chuckle as she put the "nos" in one pile and the "yeses" in the other.

Rory sighed and gave them both a look as she closed her notebook and tucked it under her arm. "It's not that big, guys. I'm her only granddaughter and you know how much she loves weddings. We made the compromise. It can be a big social event if I can have it in Stars Hollow."

"Sold her soul to the devil," her mother responded, leaning over to place an arm on her shoulder. "How many years did she give you?"

"Har har," Rory retorted as she rolled her eyes and reached over to the pile of response cards her mother was sorting.

As she shuffled through the cards in her hand, Lorelai glanced up at Rory and tilted her head to the side. "I haven't asked you, because I haven't thought about it. But, your dad is walking you down the aisle right?"

"Of course he is," her daughter said with a laugh as she stood up and walked towards the fridge, skirting by Jess as her hand reached for the handle on the door. "Why wouldn't he?"

"Oh, I don't know," Jess interjected with a tight smile. "Maybe because he isn't very fond of the guy you're marrying."

"That's not true! Dad likes you just fine, Jess, you're being insecure."

"Oh, yeah, that's why when he met me he asked what Logan Huntzberger was up to about six different times. Context clues tell me that when your girlfriend's father brings up an old boyfriend from more than five years ago, you're not very well-liked."

"He has a point," Lorelai muttered as she shuffled through the stack, absentmindedly.

With her arms folded across her chest, Rory faced Jess and tilted her head to the side in annoyance. "When we told him we were getting married he was excited."

"Sure," Jess said, smiling back at her naivety. "He was thrilled. I'm just glad he's agreed to give you away to me."

"What about your dad, Jess?" Liz piped up from her seat, breaking the concentration she had for the previous couple of hours. "Did you send him an invite?"

"Oh," Jess responded, glancing down after he took another swig of his drink. "Yeah, I mean. I sent him an invitation. He's in the "no" pile."

"What? He responded no? What could he possibly have to do?" Liz snapped, narrowing her eyes at her oldest child. "You're his son. He isn't coming to your wedding?"

"I didn't ask him what he was doing," Jess chuckled, albeit humorlessly. He glanced at Rory who was intensely trying to catch his eyes. He wasn't going to show that he was hurt in the least. "It's fine."

Liz sighed and shook her head as she set down her jewelry. "I just thought he'd grown up, Jess. I'm sorry."

"Liz, drop it," Jess snapped, not meaning to. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Look, Jimmy is just this kind of guy. I have all that I need coming to my wedding. I did not expect him to come. Can we please continue talking about Chris hating me?"

Lorelai and Rory stayed silent, their eyes focused on anything else in the room other than a fuming Liz and an uncomfortable Jess. When he veered the conversation, Lorelai decided speaking up would help the situation. "Hey at least T.J. will be there, am I right?"

His brown eyes rolled slightly at the mention of his goofy stepfather and he nodded with a sigh. "Yeah, I guess you're right. If you girls have this handled, I'm going to go help out Luke at the diner."

"Can you take James?" Lorelai asked with a grin as Jess walked past Rory and pressed a kiss to her cheek. He gave a slight nod to his future mother-in-law and walked in the living room to get him.

"James!" Jess called, grabbing his wallet on the table in the foyer. "Let's go to town!"

"Coming!" The five-year-old called, running down the stairs with his plastic dinosaur in hand. He had a popsicle grin and his big blue eyes were as icy and intense as the Gilmore women he came after.

Jess smiled and ruffled his hair when he made it to him, grinning upwards with his red-stained teeth. "Come on, kid," he said with a smirk, opening the door and waiting on James to walk out first.

* * *

May 21, 2016 at 9:02 p.m.

With an intoxicated laugh, Rory tumbled into Jess' lap, placing her arm around his shoulder as she caught his eyes. "I don't think I've ever been so happy, Dodger," she hiccuped, leaning in and kissing him briefly. "But I'd be happier if you got off your lazy tail and danced with your bride."

The table laughed around them and Jess smirked some, glancing around at his friends with his hand on Rory's lower back. "Well, I guess I'm dancing. See you guys in a bit," he replied, before patting her hip gently to get her to move.

With an excited grin, Rory grabbed his hand and pulled him to his feet before dragging him to the manmade dance floor that everyone was piled onto. Her white dress flowed in the light summer breeze as her new husband pulled her closer and swayed to the music with her.

"You look beautiful tonight, Rory," Jess declared, honestly. He was smiling, and he had been since he woke up that morning. There were no pre-wedding jitters, no cold feet. It was just Jess and Rory. Like it always was.

She grinned up at him before leaning her head on his chest and closing her eyes briefly. "Everything was perfect today. I feel like it is almost too good to be true."

"I know," Jess laughed, glancing down at her. "Emily hugged me today and your dad complimented my book. Did you pay them?"

Her laugh was contagious, as it always was, and the many shots she had taken with Sookie and her mother had finally caught up with her. So her giggles were loud and long, almost uncontrollable. "No," she replied, catching her breath. "They're just happy that I'm happy."

"I am, too," Jess said, pressing his lips to the top of her head. "I'm sorry your grandfather couldn't be here to see how happy you look."

She felt a lump in her throat as she inhaled to calm her emotions. The thought of her grandfather had lingered with her all day and it saddened her that he wouldn't be there to watch her marry Jess—someone he was actually fond of. "I am, too. But you've made up for it by giving me this wonderful day."

"I'm happy to hear you say that," Jess said, looking down into her bright blue eyes. "Mrs. Mariano," he added with a grin.

* * *

May 21, 2016 at 11:28 p.m.

"You look happy, kid," Lorelai said, a martini in one hand with her other arm rested across her daughter's shoulders. "You look happy and Jess looks happy and I am just-"

"Drunk," Rory finished with a laugh as she leaned into her mom. "And happy."

"And happy," Lorelai repeated with a laugh, kissing her daughter's temple as she held her in her arm. "I know I didn't approve of him when you were young, but man, he's turned into someone I actually enjoy being around."

"That's good to know," Rory laughed, looking up at her mom with a small smile. "Dad even seemed to enjoy being around him today."

Lorelai nodded and rubbed her daughter's shoulder lightly. "You're happy, he's happy. That's the parent's mantra, don't you know that?"

"I'll keep that tucked away for the future."

"Oh please let that be the far future," Lorelai chuckled, stumbling slightly as she did. "I don't know if I can be a grandma right now."

"Far future, I promise," Rory replied with a grin, taking another sip of the wine in her hand.

* * *

May 22, 2016 at 2:45 a.m.

Rory's head hit the pillow with a thud and she grinned over at Jess, breathlessly. "I feel like I'm in some romantic Hallmark movie with how giddy I am right now. I just said the word giddy for crying out loud," she replied, laughing at the way she sounded. "We aren't supposed to be this happy. Your Jess, the brooding teenager with a dark side and I'm Rory… strong, independent feminist."

"Well," Jess replied with a laugh. "We can have one night of this feeling before we go back to our dark, cynical roles in life."

"Oh good," she replied, tucking her body to his and wrapping her arm around his waist. She lay with her head pressed to his chest, listening to the rapid thud of his heart slowly begin to return to normal. "Jess?"

"Mhm?" He mumbled, sleepily, slowly drifting off.

"I'm sorry your dad didn't come," she whispered into the dark room of the Dragonfly Inn.

It was silent for a moment, but his arm pulled her closer to his body and he kissed the crown of her head like he did so well. "Don't be."

* * *

June 15, 2016 at 9:00 p.m.

"Jake!" Rory called as she walked into their new apartment in Manhattan, New York. She dropped the take-out on the counter of the empty kitchen and smiled as he ran into the room, sliding across the laminate wood flooring as he skidded to a stop. "Hey boy!" She said with a grin, leaning down and scratching behind his ears. "You checking out the new place?" She asked.

Jess came around the corner with a smirk and went directly to the dinner she brought home. "I was beginning to worry," he stated, watching as she loved on their dog before she made her way to the sink and washed her hands.

"I'm sorry," she replied, walking over to him and placing a kiss on his cheek. "I just wanted to finish the piece I was working on. I think this is the piece that's going to get me noticed up there."

"Oh yeah?" Jess asked her with a smile, sitting on the stool across from her as he opened each container of the Chinese take-out. "Well, Mrs. Fancy-New-York-Times journalist, I'd like to read it."

"Of course," she grinned, perching herself up on the stool in front of him. "How did everything go here? Did you get most of the bedroom unpacked?"

"Yep, and I worked on my book a little."

"I want to read!"

"Of course," Jess repeated, copying her earlier tone. "It's up on the laptop if you want to read after we eat."

"I will take you up on that after one episode of Mad Men," Rory replied with a grin, plucking out a piece of orange chicken with her chopsticks.

"Deal."

After that, it was quiet in the Gilmore-Mariano household while they ate their dinner together in a comfortable silence. It was content. It was perfect.

It was them.

* * *

The End.. maybe? Lol I feel like this is a good stopping place. they're happy!


End file.
